Nasopharyngeal cancer - worried sick!

[snowflake293]

Hi guys

I am really worried... I have the following symptoms and they are all related to it:

- Blocking/fullness and pain (especially in one ear)
- Blocked/stuffy nose in one nostril
- Bloody discharge from one nostril
- Swollen glands and lumps in neck

I am waiting for the doctors to call me back but I am so, so scared!!!! I really hope they can see me today cause I am totally freaking out - worse one in ages, really worried and feel sick with it :( really panicking.

I had problems with this ear before Christmas and saw the doctor and the other ear was a bit like it too. I had an infection then after I had Eustachian tube dysfunction which has never gone and affects the left ear more.

I have a FBC done a few weeks ago and it was fine.

I just want to see the dr today and have them examine me and tell me I am ok. I am so scared of having to have more tests or being referred.

I know it is a rare cancer but I just feel like I will be one of the unlucky ones. I have nasal polyps too and I have read this can increase your changes of getting it! Great :(

Any replies appreciated, really struggling at the moment and full on freaking out!

xx

[Light_Bringer777]

It probably won't do you much good, but looking from the outside this is the exact definition... of a cold.

I know this is not how our brain works once we start worrying, but I really see no reason to be getting worried over anything that seems to be happening to you right now. Stuffy nose, bloody discharge, swollen nodes; that's clear signs of an infection. Pressure and pain are probably signs of sinus inflammation or things like that.

When did your stuffy nose and swollen nodes appear?

[snowflake293]

Thanks for your reply :)

It isn't a cold, it doesn't feel like one. My nose isn't runny, but when I do blow it blood comes out the left nostril. Only sometimes though, seems worse in the mornings or when the weather is cold. I have had a stuffy nose for years as I have nasal polyps (small growths right up my nose)

I am getting over shingles at the moment, so I guess my swollen glands could be related to that. They feel quite tender too. However, for months I have felt a painless swelling, almost like two glands stuck together on my neck. I was panicked at the time and saw a nurse who examined me and said it was a vein and not to worry. This swelling has not grown in size at all since discovering it.

I also have a small, gristly lump near my tragus on the same side I am having the trouble. I also have TMJ (clicky jaw) which I have had for years so dunno if the tension is to do with that?

Nose hasn't bled since this morning and ear has eased off a bit. Think a lot of my symptoms are made worse by worry!

Booked into see the Dr on Wednesday morning.

Panicking a bit cause I was feeling loads better yesterday but today I feel so weak and tired again. I was only diagnosed with shingles 2 weeks ago and I know it can take 2 weeks a month to feel better, but of course I am worrying now I have cancer :(

I had a full blood count test done a few weeks ago and it came back normal.

Just fed up of the worry. I have stopped drinking too so feeling the stress a lot more at the moment.

[Beckie4567]

Hi how r u I'm going thro similar thing one ear pressure pain had it for bout 4 months said it was eustation tribe dis function then it went away now it's back :( had it for a week it effects my other ear to but mainly my left what sympotoms do u get with yours please how long do u have it for ? I'm seeing a ent as I asked to be referred something's not right I no it :( x

[Mindknot]

Did you know that around your face, head and neck is a very intricate network of hundreds of muscles, that all interact with one another to enable all the stuff that your face does i.e. eating, smiling, tooth grinding, brow furrowing, evacuating sinus gunk, swallowing etc etc...?

Anyway, the reason I say this is because I also in the throes of HA forgot about that when I had ETD, 'swollen glands' in my neck, a weird numbness along my jaw/chin, constantly feeling like my sinuses were blocked and/or bleeding.... I went to the docs, they said it's fine, no problems... so I went to an osteopath and told her. She surprised me by working directly on a bunch of muscles in my throat and neck that I didn't know I had, or that could be massaged, plus around my jaw and in my mouth, all bits that suffer from tension with anxiety, and lo and behold after a few sessions of that it was much better - the lumps in my neck that I thought were glands turned out to be knots/tight muscles and the ETD went away when the bits around my jaw were loosened... So I'm not saying, you need to go see an osteopath straight away, I am saying please think about the mechanics of that part of your body, and consider that anxiety could also be the cause of such problems. It's a pretty steep learning curve, but finding out more about all the tiny ways that anxiety may affect me, has helped me deal with HA a lot better... My jaw stuff still isn't perfect, but that's the human body for you - imperfect sometimes. The sooner you are able to accept that the quicker you will get on the path to recovery.

Hope your doctor's visit helped though :)

[snowflake293]

Hi how r u I'm going thro similar thing one ear pressure pain had it for bout 4 months said it was eustation tribe dis function then it went away now it's back :( had it for a week it effects my other ear to but mainly my left what sympotoms do u get with yours please how long do u have it for ? I'm seeing a ent as I asked to be referred something's not right I no it :( x

Thanks Beckie.

I have done another post about it on the forum cause I have been referred to an ENT now. I am trying not to worry, but I have a huge cancer phobia so anything wrong, I automatically think the worst.

I have had issues with my ears and nose for years, but the blocked/full feeling in my left ear started before Christmas and I get it on and off.

I get occasional bleeding when I blow my nose form my left nostril too which worries me, and my glands seem to be swollen a lot of them time (although the dr said this can be due to nasal polyps which she suspects are the culprit)

Lots of different things can cause our symptoms and from what I understand, cancer is this area is very rare.

I hope your symptoms ease soon and you get on ok when you see the ENT. When are you due to see them?

The doctor advised me to use a steroid nasal spray and try steam inhalation.

xx

---------- Post added at 14:12 ---------- Previous post was at 14:11 ----------


Did you know that around your face, head and neck is a very intricate network of hundreds of muscles, that all interact with one another to enable all the stuff that your face does i.e. eating, smiling, tooth grinding, brow furrowing, evacuating sinus gunk, swallowing etc etc...?

Anyway, the reason I say this is because I also in the throes of HA forgot about that when I had ETD, 'swollen glands' in my neck, a weird numbness along my jaw/chin, constantly feeling like my sinuses were blocked and/or bleeding.... I went to the docs, they said it's fine, no problems... so I went to an osteopath and told her. She surprised me by working directly on a bunch of muscles in my throat and neck that I didn't know I had, or that could be massaged, plus around my jaw and in my mouth, all bits that suffer from tension with anxiety, and lo and behold after a few sessions of that it was much better - the lumps in my neck that I thought were glands turned out to be knots/tight muscles and the ETD went away when the bits around my jaw were loosened... So I'm not saying, you need to go see an osteopath straight away, I am saying please think about the mechanics of that part of your body, and consider that anxiety could also be the cause of such problems. It's a pretty steep learning curve, but finding out more about all the tiny ways that anxiety may affect me, has helped me deal with HA a lot better... My jaw stuff still isn't perfect, but that's the human body for you - imperfect sometimes. The sooner you are able to accept that the quicker you will get on the path to recovery.

Hope your doctor's visit helped though :)

Thanks Mindknot :) I do have jaw problems and clench a lot. I have terrible shoulder tension too, so not sure if that could be causing it too.

I am worried though as my nose is affected and I get bleeding from the one nostril.

I have been referred to an ENT but the dr did not seem concerned in the slightest and actually said she was only referring me to put my mind at rest. I do worry though!

I am booking in for a deep tissue massage later in the week (waiting for my hideous shingles rash to go lol!) so hopefully that will help ease some of the tension. xx

[Beckie4567]

I'm going in two weeks I'll let u no how I get on good luck to u also x