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| A '''rhinolith''' in medical terminology (from the Greek ''rhino'' meaning nose, and ''lithos'' meaning stone). Rhinoliths form when the mucus traps ] and other particles in the air. Mucus dries around the particle and hardens into a solid or semi-solid sticky object, resulting in the particle's eventual expulsion from the body. Since catching foreign particles is one of the main functions of nasal mucus, the presence of rhinoliths is a good indicator of a properly functioning nose (as opposed to a "]", which can indicate illness). | A '''rhinolith''' in medical terminology (from the Greek ''rhino'' meaning nose, and ''lithos'' meaning stone). Rhinoliths form when the mucus traps ] and other particles in the air. Mucus dries around the particle and hardens into a solid or semi-solid sticky object, resulting in the particle's eventual expulsion from the body. Since catching foreign particles is one of the main functions of nasal mucus, the presence of rhinoliths is a good indicator of a properly functioning nose (as opposed to a "]", which can indicate illness). | ||
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| == Methods of clearing mucus == | == Methods of clearing mucus == | ||
Revision as of 18:52, 6 December 2006
- "Snot" and "Booger" redirect here. For other uses, see Snot (disambiguation) and Booger (disambiguation), respectively.
Nasal mucus is mucus from the nose. Nasal mucus is produced by the nasal mucosa, and serves to protect the respiratory tract. Nasal mucus is produced continually, and most of it is swallowed subconsciously.
Colloquial terms
Snot' is a commonly used colloquial term used to refer to nasal mucus. Increased mucus production in the respiratory tract is a symptom of many common diseases, such as the common cold. The presence of mucus in the nose and throat is normal, but increased quantities can impede comfortable breathing and may be cleared by blowing the nose or expectorating excess mucus from the back of the throat. Nasal mucus may also be removed by using traditional methods of nasal irrigation. It is also very common to treat excess mucus with drugs such as decongestants. Snot of an extra green color is generally an indicator of bacterial infection.
Solidified mucus
A rhinolith in medical terminology (from the Greek rhino meaning nose, and lithos meaning stone). Rhinoliths form when the mucus traps dust and other particles in the air. Mucus dries around the particle and hardens into a solid or semi-solid sticky object, resulting in the particle's eventual expulsion from the body. Since catching foreign particles is one of the main functions of nasal mucus, the presence of rhinoliths is a good indicator of a properly functioning nose (as opposed to a "runny nose", which can indicate illness).
Methods of clearing mucus
A loogie is a slang expression used in North America to refer to a mass of phlegm and saliva that is ejected from the mouth after being extracted from the throat of a person with nasal congestion. The expression "hocking a loogie" refers to extracting the phlegm in an obviously noisy manner involving violent vibrations of the glottis, producing a low, guttural, rumbling sound. "Hock" (alternate spelling "hawk") is derived from the archaic word "hough," pronounced the same way, meaning to clear one's throat. The word "loogie" arose as early as 1970, and appears to be a conjunction of the older slang "lung-er" (meaning an expectoration or a tuberculosis patient) and the word "booger" or "boogie."
This practice may have other names in other countries and within the medical community. In the UK, the mass can be referred to as a 'flob', a portmanteau of the phonetic pronunciation of phlegm and 'gob', a slang term for saliva.
A snot rocket is a slang term referencing the act of holding one nostril while forcefully exhaling through the other mucous filled nostril resulting in a "rocket"-like projection of phlegm. Common during allergy season and during winter cold and flu season. This is also known as a "farmer's blow."
Dried nasal mucus is often removed by nose-picking, a common activity which is socially taboo in most cultures. The social taboos regarding nasal mucus have also led to a wide variety of slang terms for nasal mucus and rhinoliths, including "snot" for nasal mucus, and "boogers" (U.S.) or "bogies" (UK) for rhinoliths.
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