Is it rude to blow your nose in public?

It's happened to everyone; you wake up one morning with a stuffy nose, but otherwise feeling normal. You have a busy day ahead, and figuring the problem is probably due to dry air in the house, you resolve to check on the furnace humidifier after work, grab a quick breakfast and leave the house.

By noon, you realize that it wasn't dry air causing the nasal congestion; you have a miserable cold. As it becomes increasingly necessary to blow your nose frequently, you notice co-workers sending glances of distaste and annoyance your way. Have you somehow missed an important rule of etiquette? Is it rude to blow your nose in public?

Of course, blowing one's nose is preferable to constant sniffling and snorting, or wiping the sticky mucus on a sleeve. However, there are certain niceties to observe which will limit the nuisance and aversion your runny nose might cause sensitive individuals in your immediate environment.

* Like the Boy Scouts, be prepared. Make a habit of carrying a packet of tissues in your purse or pocket. You'll find they are handy for a multitude of purposes besides being an absolute necessity for dealing with a sudden cold, virus, hay fever or allergy attack.

* If you have sufficient warning, blow your nose in private. Go to the washroom, an empty hallway, or an unoccupied corner. At the very least, turn your head away from anyone near you. The liquid from your nose may be germ-laden, and you should take every precaution to ensure that no one near gets a stray spray.

* Try to blow as quietly as possible. The repetitious call of a honking goose cannot help but be distracting and annoying to all within hearing distance.

* When you are finished blowing, do not inspect the tissue at length to see what interesting goobers or other creatures have emerged from your nasal passages. This can be very distasteful to onlookers. Throw the tissue away immediately.

* Wash your hands as soon as possible. If you fail to do so, anyone touching a phone, door handle, computer keys, or any surface after you, runs a real risk of catching your germs. Even if your problem is hay fever or an allergy, your co-workers won't necessarily know that. Any infection they catch in the next six months will be blamed on you.

* To be extra safe, keep a bottle of hand sanitizer prominently displayed on your desk or work surface. Make liberal use of it after every nose-blowing episode, it will help your co-workers relax a little and be more tolerant.

The best action plan, when a cold or virus strikes, is to leave work immediately and plan for a few days at home. It will safeguard the health of your associates and give you time to recover. That's the purpose of sick days after all; you may as well make use of them.

If the problem is a serious sinus infection, an allergy or hay fever, see your doctor. There are medications available to ease the symptoms of these disorders.

Blowing your nose in public is not rude. If you are thoughtful and careful, it may not even be noticed by anyone else but you, and that would be the best outcome of all.