Nasal secretions

Nasal secretion (called "snot" or "Schnodder") is a mucous secretion that is formed inside the nose of humans and animals with the help of special glands in the mucous membrane . Usually the nose cleans itself by sneezing .

The biological benefit of nasal secretions is to humidify the air we breathe and to clean it from dust . The main part of the nasal secretion is thin and flows continuously inwards through the pharynx . In humans and other primates , which belong to the subordination of the dry-nosed monkeys , part of the secretion solidifies in the area of ​​the nostrils, which is more exposed to dehydration, and can no longer drain away by itself. This dried-on secretion must then, for. B. with the help of a finger (" nose picking ", "popping") or by blowing your nose into a handkerchief ("blowing your nose ") to the outside to enable free breathing through the nose again.

Diseases

A "booger", the liquid nasal secretion below, already dried on above

The amount, consistency and color of the nasal secretions can provide information about diseases of the nose. A greenish discoloration can indicate a bacterial colonization. If yellowish discolouration, suppuration should be considered, especially an inflammation of the sinuses ( sinusitis ).

In the case of a cold ( rhinitis ), the secretion is clear and because of the large amount it also flows off to the outside. The secretion also clogs the nose, which makes nasal breathing difficult or even completely prevented.

Others

• Other regional names are "Schnuddel", "Schnudel", "Rotze", or "Schnötte". The solidified form has its own name: medicinally "bark"; colloquial: Booger, South German also "Nasenmann, Nasenstein, Nasenbohrer" or "Begler", Bavarian also Rammel or Wuckerl, Cologne also Mömmes, Lippisches Plattdeutsch also Mock, Austrian rarely also "Rawuza"; Earlier evidence as “der Kengel” in Friedrich Dedekind : Grobianus (Worms 1551), Lower Hesse also “der Ginkel”, Swiss German Böögg.
• In the vernacular, children are sometimes derogatory or jokingly referred to as " snotty noses ".
• The habit of eating nasal secretions is called mucophagia in medicine .
• Deliberately blowing your nose on the ground (usually by holding a nasal cavity closed) is called snot , in Berlin also as Charlottenburger , in parts of Austria as Bauernschnäuzer . Like spitting (spitting), it is generally frowned upon today, but not legally prohibited.
• The nasal aspirator is a device for removing secretions.

literature

• Roland Flicket: Das große Buch des Popelns (Original title: Nosepicking for Pleasure: A Handy Guide , translated by Sabine Rahn). Roller coaster, Kiel 1999, ISBN 3-89719-061-3 .
• Werner Pieper: Eene Mene Mopel - The nose and the booger - manual for nose drills. Medienexperimente, Lährbach 1990, ISBN 3-925817-39-5 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Schnudel. In: Jacob Grimm , Wilhelm Grimm (Hrsg.): German dictionary . tape 15 : Schiefeln – Soul - (IX). S. Hirzel, Leipzig 1899 ( woerterbuchnetz.de ).
2. ↑ koelsch-woerterbuch.de
3. ^ Dictionary of High German - Lippish Low German. Edited by Sabine Schierholz based on the template by Fritz Platenau, Lippischer Heimatbund, Detmold 2003, ISBN 3-926311-90-8 .
4. ↑ Bögg I , Swiss Idiotikon

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !