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Nasal mucus is mucus produced by the nasal mucosa. It serves to protect the respiratory tract and trap foreign objects such as dust and pollen before they enter the remainder of the respiratory tract. Nasal mucus is produced continually, and most of it is swallowed subconsciously.

As a medical symptom

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. Excess mucus, as with a cold or allergies may be treated with decongestant drugs. Mucus with a green color is generally an indicator of an infection of the nasal mucosa or the paranasal sinus.

Dried mucus

Dried mucus forms when the mucus traps dust and other particles in the air and becomes dessicated. 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 dried mucus formations is a good indicator of a properly functioning nose (as opposed to a "runny nose", which can indicate illness).

Rhinolith

A rhinolith is defined by the The American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary as a "calculus present in the nasal cavity." This is not to be confused with dried mucus formations commonly known as boogers, as they are very different medical phenomena.

Colloquial terms

• Snot - a general term for nasal mucus
• Booger, boogie - solidified nasal mucus
• Loogie, hocker - expectorated mucus

Some etymology

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 expelled from the throat of a person with nasal congestion. The expression "hocking a loogie" refers to expelling 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 mucus from the nose and sinuses. This is also known as a "farmer's blow" or "farmer's hanky."

Dried nasal mucus is often removed by nose-picking. The social taboos regarding nasal mucus have also led to a wide variety of slang terms for nasal mucus, including "snot" for nasal mucus, and "boogers" (U.S.) or "bogies" (UK) for dried nasal mucus.

References

1. "American Heritage Dictionary". Houghton Mifflin Company. 2004. Retrieved on December 10, 2006.
2. Ghorayeb, Bechara (October 21, 2006). "Pictures of Rhinolith (Nasal Calculus)". Retrieved on December 10, 2006.

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