Aa
Very worried - Need some good feedback
Hi all - I could really use some good feedback. Here's my story...
I'm a 30 year old male - good health - no history of illness - I am a smoker of 12 years (Have quit and started again many times - for the past 4 years usually no more than 5-10 ciggerettes per day)
So - about 2 months ago, my wife and I both developed a bad cough that lasted around 2 weeks. It took me a little while longer to get rid of it. It seems after that I just have been feeling right.
I developed really weird headache a few weeks after that - that felt strange. After researching online I think it was a tension headache. I went to the doctor - had a very normal check up - he figured it was an upper respiratory infection - and gave me antibiotics. I also took some Zyrtec thinking maybe I was developing some allergies. So I went back to feeling normal for a few weeks.
Now, this week has been bad. I went for an 8 mile run on Monday and it was a little cold - but I've done that before many times. Since then - I have been hoarse - and my cough comes and goes. Seems like its more at night and morning and also comes when I laugh or talk loud.
I got very worried - I can't relax - my face feels flushed and hot all the time - and I feel like my throat is full of pressure. So I convinced myself I had throat cancer and decided to go to the ENT yesterday. They did a scope of my throat and the doctor said everything looked fine but that I didn't have mild irritation. That relieved me - so of corse - I've now moved on to think I have lung cancer.
My current symptoms are hoarseness, mild cough that comes and goes, hot feeling on my forehead and cheeks, and strong pulse in my neck.
I am really worried - I cannot relax - and this is taking me out of my life. My wife and I our expecting a baby in August - and I really just want to focus on that.
Does anyone have any feedback for me? Should I go back to the doctor? Just cut out the smoking and wait and see if I improve?
Any advice or feedback would be great. Thanks so much!
I'm a 30 year old male - good health - no history of illness - I am a smoker of 12 years (Have quit and started again many times - for the past 4 years usually no more than 5-10 ciggerettes per day)
So - about 2 months ago, my wife and I both developed a bad cough that lasted around 2 weeks. It took me a little while longer to get rid of it. It seems after that I just have been feeling right.
I developed really weird headache a few weeks after that - that felt strange. After researching online I think it was a tension headache. I went to the doctor - had a very normal check up - he figured it was an upper respiratory infection - and gave me antibiotics. I also took some Zyrtec thinking maybe I was developing some allergies. So I went back to feeling normal for a few weeks.
Now, this week has been bad. I went for an 8 mile run on Monday and it was a little cold - but I've done that before many times. Since then - I have been hoarse - and my cough comes and goes. Seems like its more at night and morning and also comes when I laugh or talk loud.
I got very worried - I can't relax - my face feels flushed and hot all the time - and I feel like my throat is full of pressure. So I convinced myself I had throat cancer and decided to go to the ENT yesterday. They did a scope of my throat and the doctor said everything looked fine but that I didn't have mild irritation. That relieved me - so of corse - I've now moved on to think I have lung cancer.
My current symptoms are hoarseness, mild cough that comes and goes, hot feeling on my forehead and cheeks, and strong pulse in my neck.
I am really worried - I cannot relax - and this is taking me out of my life. My wife and I our expecting a baby in August - and I really just want to focus on that.
Does anyone have any feedback for me? Should I go back to the doctor? Just cut out the smoking and wait and see if I improve?
Any advice or feedback would be great. Thanks so much!
it could have been anything from a virus to mold. antibiotics only help in case of bacterial infection and actually make things worse in case of fungal infection.
blood test would have been more proper I guess with your symptoms, check the ESR for example and WBC. if your symptoms persist you could do a "spit test"
your symptoms had very little to do with lung cancer obviously you were worried because you smoked 12 years. probably there's more pollution in the air that those 5-10 cigarettes you smoked. any ways one X-ray won't harm and good that you quit smoking.
blood test would have been more proper I guess with your symptoms, check the ESR for example and WBC. if your symptoms persist you could do a "spit test"
your symptoms had very little to do with lung cancer obviously you were worried because you smoked 12 years. probably there's more pollution in the air that those 5-10 cigarettes you smoked. any ways one X-ray won't harm and good that you quit smoking.
Seems like a lot of people don't ever follow up on what happened, so - for anyone else with the same symptoms/worries as me:
Chest X-ray came back as "Clean and Normal". No signs of any problems at all. I cannot describe how relieved and happy I am right now. This has been some of the toughest weeks of my life - and I am not going to forget about it.
No more smoking - from here on out. I am determined to quit so I never have to go through this type of worry every again. It is not worth it. Take care everyone.
Chest X-ray came back as "Clean and Normal". No signs of any problems at all. I cannot describe how relieved and happy I am right now. This has been some of the toughest weeks of my life - and I am not going to forget about it.
No more smoking - from here on out. I am determined to quit so I never have to go through this type of worry every again. It is not worth it. Take care everyone.
Well... I should be finding out if there is anything wrong with my lungs tomorrow. Had a chest X-ray yesterday.
This has been a really bad month for me. Still feeling very hoarse and coughing and still have the pressure in my neck. My biggest problem has been trying to sleep at night without worrying. My GP diagnosed me with Anxiety disorder and said that I am probably making my symptoms worse by worrying about them.
I have promised myself, that if I can get a clean results on my lungs - I will take better care of myself forever. No more smoking ever again. It's just not worth the stress and worry.
I never really considered myself a serious smoker (5-10 a day) - but I guess if you do it long enough, it can catch up with you. Now I just keep kicking myself for ever smoking.
So hopefully I will get good news tomorrow, and can relax and finally start to put myself back together.
This has been a really bad month for me. Still feeling very hoarse and coughing and still have the pressure in my neck. My biggest problem has been trying to sleep at night without worrying. My GP diagnosed me with Anxiety disorder and said that I am probably making my symptoms worse by worrying about them.
I have promised myself, that if I can get a clean results on my lungs - I will take better care of myself forever. No more smoking ever again. It's just not worth the stress and worry.
I never really considered myself a serious smoker (5-10 a day) - but I guess if you do it long enough, it can catch up with you. Now I just keep kicking myself for ever smoking.
So hopefully I will get good news tomorrow, and can relax and finally start to put myself back together.
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