chest discomfort and spitting blood

[spongedog]

For the past year I have experienced spitting blood.  Have had 2 chest exrays, ecg, and blood tests which all come back normal.  I have recently started getting shooting pains intermitently in my head.  I do not have a cough but i cough to clear my throat there is blood in it.  For the past 2 weeks i have been playing badmington and have had to spit out a mouth ful of blood whilst playing.  I am 36 (ex smoker of 5 years) and doctors keep telling me i am under stress.

[spongedog]

thanx for your comments, have been back to doctors and he has referred me to a chest clinic,  sorry i forgot to say i went to ent last year and she couldnt see anything significant.  Now i have to wait 3 months to see the specialist. In the meantime i am still spitting blood and got severe intermitent chest pain which feels like is in my left lung. I know i seem a winge and i know there are lots of people out there with real problems but i cant help but worry and the doctors dont seem to care.  All i can think of is my 2 children.  Will keep you posted.

[Rawhead]

A few years ago, I had something very similar, and doctors were not able to identify what it was.

It ended up being Anti-GBM syndrome, where your bodies defences turn against themselves and start eating away at the lining of your lungs and kidneys.

It is a very rare condition and will not show up on normal blood tests, other than to show you are aneamic.


Treatments are available, and in my case completely successful.

[National Jewish]

This is potentially quite serious.  Blood in the sputum can come from anywhere in the upper respiratory tract or in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  You should have a thorough exam that would include a sinus CT scan.  With a fiberoptic laryngoscopy an ENT specialist would be able to see your sinuses, nose, mouth, voice box, and throat especially the area up behind your nose that is out of sight.

This is probably not an emergency, but you should not delay.