How do I tell someone to stop coughing?

Question

The lady in the cubicle across from me where I work constantly coughs. She has been doing so for like a month. She was coughing a lot when she first moved to that cubicle like 3 months ago, then stopped for a while. But now...it's all about the coughing again. When she's not eating, she's coughing. It's really really annoying and pretty gross because she just isn't stopping. I do not know how to handle this. What should I do?

Answer 1

Tell her that she needs to talk to her doctor about the coughing.  

Like other people said, it could be a respiratory issue or she could be a smoker (she needs to be nicely encouraged to quit - support from others helps).

There are actually some medications that can coughing as a side effect.  She could look into that too with her doctor.

Even if it is Tourette's syndrome (tics can sound like coughing) there are medications out there that will help stop the symptoms.

Point out to her that you have noticed she has been coughing, but she had stopped for a while.  Maybe she can look into WHY her coughing stopped and try that method again.

Answer 2

You can't tell someone not to cough.  That's like asking them not to sneeze or breathe.  Maybe she's allergic to something in the office and has to clear her throat.  Lighten up.

Answer 3

Go try and talk to her and tell her how you feel

Answer 4

thats extremly rude. she might be sick! she might have asthma or allergies from the bad O-zone lately. Y don't u do the nice thing and ask her if there is anything u can do to make her feel better.

Answer 5

Coughing is like breathing, DUH! Obviously you need to do a little research.  Coughing is a reflex of the lungs.  Something is either in her throat or in her lungs that makes the reflex to cough.  Get her a cough drop, or a doctor appointment.  Quit being so selfish.  

Answer 6

She is not coughing on purpose. Coughing is a reflex action.

It could be that she has allergies or a chronic lung condition.

Bring this up with your manager/supervisor.  

Some suggestions for the cough- keep hydrated- lots of water. Cough drops or lozenges work well.

Be patient. How would you feel if it were you that had the bad cough?

Answer 7

start tossing over cough candies.

Answer 8

Well you cant really ask someone to stop coughing its not good to stop if you had too but, you can listen to music or keep urself busy with something else maybe =]

Answer 9

I would try and be nice and say something like "that cough you have seems like it won't go away!" and make something up like "I got some new perfume and I was wondering if you were allergic?" the lady might then volunteer why she has been coughing like "no, I have allergies" or something like that and that would start the convo. She may be trying to quit smoking, have TB, or possibly it could be an OCD thing. You could talk to your other cubicle mates and see if they  have noticed. Just be nice about it!  

Answer 10

The same way they would tell you to stop breathing.

She apparently has a medical condition.  Maybe she'll die and you won't be bothered.  If you feel your complaint has merit (and I understand that it's bothersome), go directly to YOUR manager and ask if she can help you find a solution in seeking a less distracting place for YOU to sit.

Answer 11

Bring in cough medicine and say, "I HEARD you coughing from my cubicle and was wondering if you needed some medicine, I know how annoying being sick can be" Say the last part as in you get annoyed when you are sick, but mean it to have a double meaning.

Answer 12

Aw man,that would be annoying.Try offering her some cough drops and see if that helps at all.Tell her to stop smoking and see a doctor because she is disrupting the entire office.But say it in a nice way.She must be aware of this,maybe she has some kind of lung problem.

Answer 13

You should politely say, "Excuse me, (insert name here), but I find your coughing a little distracting. Would you like a cough drop?"

And be as nice as you can about it. Say it very sweetly.

Answer 14

She likely can't control her coughing.  Have some simple compassion for your fellow co-worker.

It's not always about you.

Answer 15

Try just going up and saying I hear you coughing and was wondering if you would like a cough drop, being sick is a pain in the butt.

Just remember that how ever annoying it is for you to hear her cough all the time, think about how annoying it has to be for her.

Answer 16

That woman should not be sitting there coughing all day. It is distracting to the work environment and whatever her problem is could possibly be contagious.

If that woman is so sick that she has been coughing non-stop for an entire month, she should be taking her sick days and seeing a doctor - not contaminating your office. The fact that she has no consideration for others is very bothersome to me.

You know, when a kid in school gets sick, the school nurse immediately sends the kids home and asks that the kid not come back until they are healthy again - to prevent the spread of illness. The same consideration should apply to an office setting too.

Speak to your manager about it - it is their job to make sure that all the employees are comfortable and not at risk by another ill co-worker.

Good luck.

PS - I am *shocked* at all these people on here saying "She might be sick! She can't help it! Wah!". Well guess what? She SHOULDN'T BE AT WORK IF SHE'S SICK.

Answer 17

ask her if she has gone to the dr for the cough she has wtf that is gross

Answer 18

That is a difficult situation,she must be a smoker and therefore probably can't stop even if she wanted to. I would talk to my boss and insist that something be done about it.It does sound like an intolerable position to be in.Good luck.

Answer 19

ask if you can move. she cant stop coughing for you. would you rather her gag trying to not cough

?

Answer 20

What you should do is practice a little more tolerance.  She's coughing because something is causing her to cough.  Coughing is an involuntary response.  It's not something that can be controlled anymore than breathing.  

Answer 21

Well, when you stop blinking or breathing or thinking, maybe she'll stop coughing...

bananas

Answer 22

You might try speaking to your supervisor, in a compassionate way, about your concern for your co-workers coughing. While it's very likely she has some sort of allergy or other medical problem, there is also the possibility that it's just simply a habit she has formed and she doesn't even realize she's doing it.

We had a woman in our office with a similar problem and it turned out to be nothing but a habit she had picked up during a particularly bad allergy season. The allergies were gone, but she continued to cough. This woman was my sister, so it was easy for me to confront her and get to the bottom of the problem. I fear you won't have it quite as easy, but do talk to a supervisor about it. If she's ill and you know this for certain, it will make tolerating the cough easier for you and other employees.

Answer 23

Well, I'm sure she doesn't like it any more than you do!

Maybe she has a medical condition like chronic bronchitis and she can't help it.

Answer 24

u cant really tell someone to stop coughing.. they cant help it. but u CAN just ask her if shes alright.. once u get into a convo about it just say.. "ya i noticed u have been coughing for a while now" or something. once she knows u've noticed she will probably try to control herself.. if that doesnt work buy a bag of cough drops and toss them over the cubicle to her.. she'll definatly get the hint then

Answer 25

It is not her fault, and she can't control it, maybe you can move away to another cubicle

Answer 26

I would ask her if she needs water, and does she cough like this at home too.  Tell her you think she is coughing more than normal and that she may need allergy  testing.  This is the only well mannered way I can think of to approach it without telling her outright she is annoying....especially if she can't help it.  

Answer 27

I cannot tell you how much I hate coughing; it drives me up the wall, incl my own.  Buy a tin of Fisherman's Friend; these are the most powerful cough drops in existence, they are very very strong but they stop coughs immediately.

Answer 28

Leave her some Sucrets on her desk when she's not there . . . then maybe a Ear Nose and Throat doctor's phone number; leave her some Nicorette (if she's a smoker).  Don't say anything to her, I don't think there's a nice way of doing that, but you leave something on her desk; she'll never know who it was.  

Answer 29

secretly put a jar with a bow with cough drops on her desk.  She'll get the idea and hopefully use them.

Answer 30

it might be an ailment of some sort. Just try talking to her and ask her some questions

Answer 31

wear headphones with music