Recipe How to Make Snot Boogers

British researchers are at it again!

The British Society for Immunology have developed a recipe to make your very own authentic-appearing snot of various colors of tan thru green.

Of course, you can make your own the natural way, but here's a more sanitary way with kitchen supplies.

You need:

• 1 tbsp Gelatine powder
• 1 tbsp Hot water
• 2 tbsp Sugar syrup (corn syrup or golden syrup)
• Food colouring
• A plastic container/bag
• Paint brush or dropper

To make your own snot:

1) In a container, mix the gelatine and hot water together, stir quickly until the gelatin dissolves.

2) Using a paint brush or dropper add a very small amount of food colouring.

3) Add the sugar syrup and mix until it goes stringy and snot like.

4) Enjoy!

Keep your snot in the fridge or you might find something growing on it!

Source:
THE SECRET LIFE OF SNOT. British Society of Immunology.

NYT: Does Snotty Colored Discharge Require Antibiotics? No!!!

The New York Times published a story on Oct 6, 2009 entitled "The Claim: With a Runny Nose, Green Calls for an Antibiotic." It actually is a pretty good article though I'm not sure how much impact this will have in clinical practice.

The story reports that green discharge from the nose is NOT indicative of a bacterial sinus infection and as such, this symptom should not be the sole reason why antibiotics should be prescribed.

It does reference a research paper that backs this claim up. There are others.

In any case, the last sentence of the story is worth reiterating: "THE BOTTOM LINE: The color of nasal discharge should not dictate the medicine."

Not sure how accepting patients will be of this factoid given how ingrained colored discharge has been equated with sinus infection.

I personally have encouraged saline nasal flushes starting from as early as 5 years old as the main treatment for this issue which some patients have been more accepting than others.