Scared I have sinus cancer

[countrygirl]

I just posted re weird facial pressure and have just looked up symptoms of sinus cancer and it says that seemingly innocent symptoms like congested nose- blood stained mucus and post nasal drip can be signs of sinus cancer and its just when it gets big that you get the other symptoms like numbnes or pain in cheek or hearing loss or eye problems.

Because I have had slight stuffiness always on left side of nose with blood stained mucus and most days post nasal drip I have never worried about it as I have had 3 brain mris in past 7 years and no mention of sinus problem but now freaking that all my pressure sensations together with the longstanding sinus issues could be sinus cancer.

I so want to go back to my GP and confess to my fear but she only sent me to ent for pulse in ear becasue I insisted in case I had blood vessel problem and ent said blood vessel problems are there from birth and they would have shown up on previous mris so hes not doing another one!!!!!!!!!!

Help:weep:

[Toffeeapple]

I've got all the symptoms you describe, I hope I haven't got sinus cancer!!

[LisaLisa]

I just posted re weird facial pressure and have just looked up symptoms of sinus cancer and it says that seemingly innocent symptoms like congested nose- blood stained mucus and post nasal drip can be signs of sinus cancer and its just when it gets big that you get the other symptoms like numbnes or pain in cheek or hearing loss or eye problems.

Because I have had slight stuffiness always on left side of nose with blood stained mucus and most days post nasal drip I have never worried about it as I have had 3 brain mris in past 7 years and no mention of sinus problem but now freaking that all my pressure sensations together with the longstanding sinus issues could be sinus cancer.

I so want to go back to my GP and confess to my fear but she only sent me to ent for pulse in ear becasue I insisted in case I had blood vessel problem and ent said blood vessel problems are there from birth and they would have shown up on previous mris so hes not doing another one!!!!!!!!!!

Help:weep:


Hey countrygirl

I would trust your doc. You are not telling them anything that is ringing any bells or worrying them so the sympstoms must be something minor and nothing to worry about. I know its easier said than done, but just so you know i have read all your posts and even with my HA i dont think you have anything to worry about at all becasue everyone on this website has the same symptoms, they just describe them in different ways. You have had lots of good tests and the docs you have seen get paid good money and would not risk their jobs taking risks with anyones health.

Do something to cheer yourself up!! Best medicine ever!!:yahoo:

Lisa
xxxx

[bex1970]

I had the very same fear recently.... and had an MRI - all clear. But the symptoms have not totally cleared up. I quizzed the ENT and asked him if sinus cancer/other cancers would show up. He said most definitely YES. There is not much an MRI would miss. Also, sinus cancer is very slow growing - so your previous MRIs would have picked up something earlier on...

Don't worry - you're fine. Mine is on the left side too - causes weird eye feeling, permanently stuffy nose - blood stained mucus (sometimes~) and sometimes pressure in the roof of my mouth. Doc told me to come off ALL medicines for at least 4 weeks (well, nose decongestants etc) and see how it felt. Weirdly, it does seem better and the blood has gone completely. The problem with long term use of decongestants is that they increase mucus production....

The sensations are going gradually... but, like you, I was reluctant to believe MRI but there isn't really a better test, so I'm doing my best to try!
x

[Little Miss Anxious]

I think sinus problems are so common & many seem to be long term, there are a billion minor things it could be (well mayve not a billion but you know what I mean) I have always suffered with mine, I am very blocked up & have a poppy, crackly ear at the moment, strangely enough on the left hand side too !!?? Sometimes I think the blood in mucus just comes from overblowing your nose, I get it sometimes, particuarly on a morning.

Dont forget its coming up to hayfever & summer allergy time too, that dosent help (mine starts very early - in fact its kicking in a bit now) I will have to start taking antihistamines very soon !

[countrygirl]

Thanks everyone - bex thank you for telling me that sinus cancer is very slow growing as I didn't know that and of course imagined that it went from microscopic to elephant sized in about 6 weeks!

I think I have read before from someone on here that a brain mri looks at everything in your head including sinuses as I think the post said that she had been told she didn't have ms but did have a sinus infection - am I right in assuming that anything in my sinuses would have been seen on my last MRI in June last year???

I saw my chiropractor today who said that my neck damage could be causing all my weird sensations rather than a sinus problem. I have had all these symptoms except the fleeting intense pressure on and off for at least 12 years!!!

[nikkinoo]

Dear Countrygirl,
Sorry you are feeling so fed up, but if it is any help, I too am going through the same thing and have posted on here several times that I am worried about my sinus problems.
I can go for a few weeks and feel ok, but then it all kicks off again! The stuffiness in the nose and the tingling at the bridge of the nose. The odd streaks of blood when I blow my nose and thick green, bloody post nasal drip (sorry to be so descriptive!) and my panic levels go sky high! I too have googled symptoms and have also scared myself into thinking I have nasal cancer. I am trying to be rational at the moment as it has all started up yet again. It is just the bloody post nasl drip that freaks me out as I have yet to find anyone who has had the same.
I have now given up dairy products which has helped a lot. I have also started to use a saline nasal spray which thins down the mucus and I can strongly recommend this.
I hope you feel better soon. Nikki. :-) x

[bex1970]

Hi there - yes, it would have covered your sinsues if it was a full brain scan. A base of skull wouldn't.... but full brain would.... you don't have sinus cancer. Honestly!

Don't mean to belittle you - just trying to make you feel better- always feel so hypocritcal because I worry despite what people say....

My HA is so bad at the moment that I clean my teeth and shower in the dark, just to avoid the mirror and potential lump spotting.... horrid.
xx

[countrygirl]

Thanks nikkinoo and bex. And Bex don't worry I don't think you are belittling me - you do me the power of good by pointing out the logical and normal:) which of course we can all do for other people but not ourselves.
My brain mri's were all full ones so thats good.

I am almost sure that my problem is more a neuralgia coming from my spinal damage in neck - but it is just so horrible especially the face going to burst feeling - today all my scalp and face on one side has tingled and crawled and felt like moving pressures so assume if my face/scalp can feel like this then so can the inside of me!

I also keep getting stabbing pains in ear on that side - strangely my husband has started with neck trouble a few years ago and today he is complaining of aching ear on same side- maybe its catching.

HOpefully after today being worst I have had so far with pain/ sensations things will calm down otherwise I will end up going back to Drs and looking a right xxxxx:blush:

[louise0501]

hey, i'm also terrified i have sinus cancer becasue i have facial pain all the time and pains around my eyes and a bit of a blocked nose and when when i blow my nose there is blood. i'm really freaking out. could it be sinus cancer? please help me. im so scared i feel like crying.
please reply
Luv Louise

[justbananas]

My HA is so bad at the moment that I clean my teeth and shower in the dark, just to avoid the mirror and potential lump spotting.... horrid.
xx

bex, that's awful! something that helps and works for me .. i've made a pact with myself to only do checks once a month. since i get a lot of these fears while showering etc., i came up with a way to minimize it. as you know many docs recommend doing breast checks the week after your period ends, so i do this at that time, and will often check my neck, moles, etc.. but by knowing i will do this once a month each month, it keeps me from poking and prodding myself the rest of the month. i just tell myself.. no need.. you'll get around to it in a week or two, whenever the urge comes up or i sense something weird. it's also good to leave time between body checks because you won't actually notice true changes in for example a breast lump or a mole if you're feeling around every day. if you can do it, try this approach.. scheduling time for me to obsess works better. now if i could just do this with everything!!!!!!!!!

[nikkinoo]

hey, i'm also terrified i have sinus cancer becasue i have facial pain all the time and pains around my eyes and a bit of a blocked nose and when when i blow my nose there is blood. i'm really freaking out. could it be sinus cancer? please help me. im so scared i feel like crying.
please reply
Luv Louise

Hi Louise,
I know exactly what you are going through. I too have spent too many hours worring about this. When I blow my nose, I often have streaks of blood. My main worry is that sometimes the blood does not always come down my nose, but seems to mix with my nasal mucus and drains down my throat and I can feel this burn and tingle at the back of my nose. I then have to spit out this pinky phlegm? I seem to be the only one who has this.
My doctor does not seem overly concerned and has assured me I am ok, but this blood thing really does freak me out!
From what I have been reading, sinus cancer is quite rare.
Looking at some of the older posts on here, sinus issues have been discussed quite a bit, so it must be a very common problem.
I hope you are feeling better today?
Kindest regards Nikki. :-) x

[Little Miss Anxious]

Nikinoo, you are not the only one who gets that wierd blood thing when it runs back down, as I say sometimes I think its from blowing too hard. Think about how sensitive your nose lining etc is, it dosent take much to make it bleed - look at how many kids (problaby adults too, lol) who cause full on nosebleeds just by picking thier noses. Suppose its like your mouth, you only need run a fingernail rougly inside your cheek & you can draw blood.

I know bleeding often can be a cause of more serious problems but I do think this type of minor bleeding is so very common in minor problems, I must admit I am a complete drama queen when it comes to health issues but I have always suffered with coughs / colds / sinus problems etc (that is my weakspot due to croup & other related ailments when I was little) so dont really tend to fret too much about that side of my health.

I hope (& am sure) you are all just fine !!

[diane07]

Nikki,

I too have post nasal drip, it drives me mad and gives me a sore throat aswell, so i have everything you are suffering with, its a damn nuisance.

di xx

[nikkinoo]

Nikinoo, you are not the only one who gets that wierd blood thing when it runs back down, as I say sometimes I think its from blowing too hard. Think about how sensitive your nose lining etc is, it dosent take much to make it bleed - look at how many kids (problaby adults too, lol) who cause full on nosebleeds just by picking thier noses. Suppose its like your mouth, you only need run a fingernail rougly inside your cheek & you can draw blood.

I know bleeding often can be a cause of more serious problems but I do think this type of minor bleeding is so very common in minor problems, I must admit I am a complete drama queen when it comes to health issues but I have always suffered with coughs / colds / sinus problems etc (that is my weakspot due to croup & other related ailments when I was little) so dont really tend to fret too much about that side of my health.

I hope (& am sure) you are all just fine !!



Dear Little Miss Anxious,
Many thanks for your reply. My panic levels were really going sky due to the occasional bloody post nasal drip I seem to get with this on going sinus problem. I really thought I was the only one to suffer from this. It is really quite scarey when it happens. My nose really stings at the bridge and under the eye area when this occurs and my throat goes really dry. I have found that using a saline nasal spray has helped quite a bit.
I hope all is well with you today and many thanks for your reassuring words.
Kindest regards Nikki :-) x

[Little Miss Anxious]

I know how much better I felt when I got a little reasurance of people - there could be a million other people suffering the same kind of symtoms as us & only 1 in that million could have something seriously wrong with them so its good to get feedback of some of the other 999,999 :yahoo:

As I say sinus / chest / cold problems dont really phase me as I have always been prone to them. Mu bugbear is womans stuff....I only need get a mild bout of cystitis & thats it I must have the BIG C !! My life flashes before me, I start making lists of all the things I need to do before my imminent death. I know there have been numerous threads on here about the subject of us getting too much information via the internet - it makes you wonder how many of us wouldn't get like we do if it wasn't for good old 'Dr Google' :shrug:

[JasmineSB]

I've had cold and sinus pain for 11 days now. Then 1 week in my ears blocked and I was in so much pain I went to the doctors. He said just related to the cold I've had but it seems to be getting worst and am so worried so I looked up this thread. Has anyone else had blocked ears with sinus/ cold?

[andram]

I've had cold and sinus pain for 11 days now. Then 1 week in my ears blocked and I was in so much pain I went to the doctors. He said just related to the cold I've had but it seems to be getting worst and am so worried so I looked up this thread. Has anyone else had blocked ears with sinus/ cold?

Currently worried about sinus cancer too. I've had a sore throat and earache in both ears for about a week. Doctors think if could be acid reflux related but it feels unsettling to me. I got an MRI back for an unrelated lump I felt on my head, was told the lump was nothing but that I have cysts in my sinuses which I am very worried about now as I read they could possibly be cancerous. I also have a sore in my mouth I noticed yesterday, although that could be from me feeling around my mouth a lot, and it is smaller today.

As for you, I think I've had that before but I do understand the worry. I'm a bit new to health anxiety being an issue of mine, so I'm not sure if you should take my word for it, but I'd see another doctor if you need the reassurance and if it doesn't get any better in a few more days.

[spacebunnyx]

I have similar worries. I have a deviated septum and when I look up my nose it looks like a red lump �� I've been told this is normal... but now I have bleeding and soreness from the same nostril it makes me worry. I'm also on blood thinners, aspirin and pregnant so I don't think that helps with the blood or anxiety!

Also remember this time of year heating is coming on and air is dry making snot a bit bloody.

Xxx

[JasmineSB]

Google most definitely not my friend but I can't help myself it's quite impulsive. I try to come here instead. My upper teeth started hurting a little today as I was doing my workout so only when I jump. Apparently it's related to sinus problems but also cancer so I started to panic again.

Feeling really anxious now.