Atouchofhope
06-05-21, 19:35
Hi all,
I'm planning a visit to the GP next week but would like to get some thoughts.
I've had post nasal drip/phlegm in throat (I'm never sure if the mucus comes from my nose or my throat...) for years now. Used to come and go, but it's been worse for months. Had drops, pills to make the mucus more fluid and it helps. No allergies (the ENT checked) just a polyp in one of my nostrils.
I've also been spitting brown phlegm first thing in the morning (no cough - just feeling I have to spit a bit of mucus stuck in throat) - I'm ashamed to say it's been years now and I thought it was normal, as in to do with digestion or so. And the rest of the day, phlegm is quite thick but transparent. I've smoked socially between the age of 21 and 24 (so probably about 10 cigarettes a week if that - also went for months without in between...) and haven't touched anything since (I'm 33 now). For the past few days thought, I've noticed that this brown phlegm now has blood in it... So yeah, I'm a bit panicky and now thinking that the brown stuff had blood in it all along and I've basically been walking around with something serious for years.
So thinking the worst (lung cancer fear, hello!). I don't cough, I'm not short of breath, no pain in chest, just this annoying phlegm all day. I have bad gum disease (being treated for that now but it comes and goes as well) but would it be possible that my gums bleeds only during the night and that the blood runs at the back of my throat? No trace of blood in mouth in the morning... something sinus related maybe?
If it was sign of cancer, wouldn't I been spitting blood all day and coughing?
I would had that I had a chest Xray done a couple of months ago (for something unrelated) and it came back clear.
Any advice would be great
I'm planning a visit to the GP next week but would like to get some thoughts.
I've had post nasal drip/phlegm in throat (I'm never sure if the mucus comes from my nose or my throat...) for years now. Used to come and go, but it's been worse for months. Had drops, pills to make the mucus more fluid and it helps. No allergies (the ENT checked) just a polyp in one of my nostrils.
I've also been spitting brown phlegm first thing in the morning (no cough - just feeling I have to spit a bit of mucus stuck in throat) - I'm ashamed to say it's been years now and I thought it was normal, as in to do with digestion or so. And the rest of the day, phlegm is quite thick but transparent. I've smoked socially between the age of 21 and 24 (so probably about 10 cigarettes a week if that - also went for months without in between...) and haven't touched anything since (I'm 33 now). For the past few days thought, I've noticed that this brown phlegm now has blood in it... So yeah, I'm a bit panicky and now thinking that the brown stuff had blood in it all along and I've basically been walking around with something serious for years.
So thinking the worst (lung cancer fear, hello!). I don't cough, I'm not short of breath, no pain in chest, just this annoying phlegm all day. I have bad gum disease (being treated for that now but it comes and goes as well) but would it be possible that my gums bleeds only during the night and that the blood runs at the back of my throat? No trace of blood in mouth in the morning... something sinus related maybe?
If it was sign of cancer, wouldn't I been spitting blood all day and coughing?
I would had that I had a chest Xray done a couple of months ago (for something unrelated) and it came back clear.
Any advice would be great