Mucus and excessive bleeding in throat - V2

[Kutittaa]

Back in Finland again with the same problem. The issue went away in Australia after about a week, without any sort of treatment necessary.

Now I'm back in Finland and after the 4th day I've started getting the same problems. My doc in Australia gave me x-rays and determined that it wasn't Reflux or anything like that, but that breathing issues would be due to a polyp in my nose which was obstructing my breathing. She prescribed me some steroid nasal spray. But I didn't experience any 'bleeding' or a sore throat at all in Australia.

Now I'm back and the pain is intense. The sore throat came about 25 minutes after I ate some chips, I had just finished biking about 15kms around town. The bleeding came after I went to sleep and woke up. I went to the doctor yesterday and paid a fortune to be told that "It's just the dust" which could be true. The doc also said that due to taking the nasal spray, I could have a heightened sensitivity to the dust. But I am not convinced, and would that really explain the excessive coughing up blood, and the bleeding? The sore throat I can imagine, but could it be that bad that I bleed so much?

Does anyone else get this? I'm sorta worried that this is just one of those things I'll have to cope with for life if I want to live here. I don't mind forking out hundreds on lozenges or whatever for the rest of my life. People do it with painkillers and umpteen other pills. But this is really painful and very discomforting.

I'm also a non-smoker. So this is sorta scary. I know you're not doctors but I was just wondering if anyone else gets the same symptoms and if so, what works for you.

Thanks.

[Karhunkoski]

Different pollen?

http://aerobiologia.utu.fi/tiedotus/sii ... ation.html

Street Dust?

[Kutittaa]

When I was in Helsinki the dust was incredible. Here in Oulu it seems that if there would be dust, that it would be pretty much invisible. Though that doesn't mean it isn't there. Looks like I live in the worst region if I am allergic to birch. Is there an allergen test I can take or something to see if I am allergic to birch and other types of pollen? At least if I can't fix the problem, I might be able to get some closure.

Thanks Karhunkoski

[Jukka Aho]

Is there an allergen test I can take or something to see if I am allergic to birch and other types of pollen?

The so-called prick test.

(No, I’m not kidding. ;) Look it up.)

[Kutittaa]

I know of them. I've had one before. Could I just ask a doctor for one?

[odon]

Having mucus is one thing, but u mentioned bleeding?? that should call for an endoscopic procedure ....

But off course allergy or some irritant seems to be the first thing that comes out.

[odon]

and a detailed " oral " history would be my next line of reasoning.....yes i mean sexual activities if any at all.....involving the mouth!!
Embarrassing but just need to rule out all the x,y,z.....

[Karhunkoski]

that should call for an endoscopic procedure ....

If they want to give you this Kutittaa, please drop me a PM first.

[AldenG]

Positive reactions in a prick test are informative, but negative reactions are not very meaningful. They mean your skin probably doesn't react (though there can be a threshold effect), possibly suggest your airways don't react, but they don't mean that your digestive tract or other parts of the body don't react at all.

ELISA-based blood tests for IgE antibodies are more revealing.

Personally I've never heard of anybody coughing up blood from common allergies. Now something like cement dust or hazardous construction or industrial dust would be a different story, but you wouldn't be alone in reacting.

I wouldn't take it as gospel that one procedure definitively ruled out reflux. I'm not a doctor but that's my experience.

Did the doctor take a throat culture? When will you get the results back from that? It's not necessarily just one thing -- the steroidal spray can depress your immune response, allowing an opportunistic infection to get a foothold or resurge.

How humid is it around Oulu? The mildew level around Helsinki often takes me by surprise. I'm not used to public spaces being mildewy anywhere else I've lived. The only people I've known to cough up blood other than with ulcers or lung disease had a problem with mold. But they were really, really ill by then and I suspect you'd know that already.

Be persistent. A clear and definite explanation will eventually be found, and probably one well worth finding.

[AldenG]

They check your blood pressure, don't they? Even though you're in your twenties?

[Rosamunda]

ELISA-based blood tests for IgE antibodies are more revealing.

I'm not sure they are standard practice in Finland. I was in and out of the Allergy Clinic in Helsinki with one of my kids and they never even offered RAST tests (a few years ago) which were then pretty standard in France (where he had been treated previously).

Something like 1in 5 or 6 Finns suffer from birch allergy which probably means you won't get a huge amount of sympathy. Sisu would be the local "remedy". But birch pollen is a tricky allergy since there are cross-reactions with things like apple (list here:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome

You should keep a diary of all your reactions, everything you eat and the pollen count. After a few weeks you might be able to find some triggers. Is there anything you are eating here which you don't eat at all in Australia (fruits, veg, nuts, grains)?

The birch pollen count will fall soon and a rainy day is often all it takes to clear the air.

[Mook]

Is there an allergen test I can take or something to see if I am allergic to birch and other types of pollen?

The so-called prick test.

(No, I’m not kidding. Look it up.)

but not during the birch pollen season.

[Upphew]

Btw, the bleeding might be the result of nasal spray and it has just trickled to your throat instead out of the nose? At least I seem to get my nose bleeding every time I use those.

[Pursuivant]

Only consolation I can give is, that if its birch pollen, it eases up with age. Problem being in Finland the spring comes sometimes at the "flick of the switch" so its far more intense.

[Kutittaa]

and a detailed " oral " history would be my next line of reasoning.....yes i mean sexual activities if any at all.....involving the mouth!!
Embarrassing but just need to rule out all the x,y,z.....

Doc already had a look at my mouth and throat and said that apart from needing to brush my teeth again (I had just eaten) that everything was fine and nothing was at all out of the ordinary...

that should call for an endoscopic procedure ....

If they want to give you this Kutittaa, please drop me a PM first.

Doc never mentioned this.

Personally I've never heard of anybody coughing up blood from common allergies. Now something like cement dust or hazardous construction or industrial dust would be a different story, but you wouldn't be alone in reacting.

I'm sort of starting to wonder if it may be minor bleeding from brushing my teeth that seeps down into my throat and stays there whilst I sleep. Though when coughing up blood (only happens in the morning) it would almost seem that either there is so much blood to be coughed up, or that I am instead bleeding all over again after I start spitting it up. i.e. that removing the blood would cause whatever it is, to start bleeding again for a short time. I am not sure which one it could be. Though I would guess more on there just being a lot of blood to be coughed up.

There isn't always blood either, much of the time it's just really brown thick mucus. As I explained in an older thread.

I wouldn't take it as gospel that one procedure definitively ruled out reflux. I'm not a doctor but that's my experience.

My Doc in Australia was pretty convinced that I didn't have reflux, or silent reflux and she seemed to be pretty confident that it was just a huge polyp in the right nostril due to a severe allergic reaction, and a very slight deviated septum which caused my left nostril to be slightly smaller than normal. After 2 months of taking the steroid nasal spray I've probably regained 80% of my breathing through my nose. Biking, running, exercising and just living in general has become far easier than it was say, 13 months ago.

Did the doctor take a throat culture? When will you get the results back from that? It's not necessarily just one thing -- the steroidal spray can depress your immune response, allowing an opportunistic infection to get a foothold or resurge.

I had a PND++ (Post-Nasal Drip) x-ray taken. Just a single x-ray. It showed that I indeed had a slightly deviated septum and a huge polyp in my right nostril. Nothing else was out of the ordinary. My Doc in Aust was concerned that there was perhaps a pool at the bottom of my nostril that was filling up but there wasn't one so she concluded that it was all running down into my throat. I subsequently raised the head of my bed half a foot or so anyway.

How humid is it around Oulu? The mildew level around Helsinki often takes me by surprise. I'm not used to public spaces being mildewy anywhere else I've lived. The only people I've known to cough up blood other than with ulcers or lung disease had a problem with mold. But they were really, really ill by then and I suspect you'd know that already.

It's deathly dry here actually. It rained today but it's not humid at all. After rain the streets dry up very, very quickly. Compared to Helsinki or say, Tampere it's far, far dryer in my humble opinion. We have a new place here, the apartment is only 1 and a half years old. There isn't any sign of mould or anything. It's not humid inside this place at all. It's quite dry and comfortable here. I don't feel sick either, I just have this issue. I had an x-ray of my lungs taken when I was in Finland last, they concluded that I did not have asthma or any problem with my lungs at all. I just got the 'all clear' for a non-smoker.

They check your blood pressure, don't they? Even though you're in your twenties?

My doc in Aust said that my blood pressure was fine for my age (I asked for it to be tested myself), in fact that it was a little lower than it should be, but that it's far better to be slightly lower than average than slightly higher. My normal heart-rate is anywhere from 53 - 62 bpm. Which is also pretty low/good apparently.

Is there anything you are eating here which you don't eat at all in Australia (fruits, veg, nuts, grains)?

My diet is almost completely the same. I do eat more fruit in Finland, I have smoothies that I make myself. But I don't experience any problems eating them. Though now that I think about it, I almost always only have the mucus build up when I am outside. So it could be very well some sort of pollen or dust in the air. Inside it's far less likely that I have any issues at all breathing. Especially after I take my nasal spray.

Btw, the bleeding might be the result of nasal spray and it has just trickled to your throat instead out of the nose? At least I seem to get my nose bleeding every time I use those.

I thought about that, but I've had bleeding on and off for the past year and a half. I think I may have cracked it by saying that it's bleeding from my gums. I bought a very soft toothbrush and I'll be really careful brushing my teeth. I was just using a normal 'medium' one before. Occasionally I use(d) to get a tiny bit of bleeding from 2 or 3 of my top teeth after brushing. I was always careful and my dentist just said that I had sensitive gums and said to take a softer toothbrush and perhaps use sensitive-styled toothpaste.