ENT Visit Causes Bleeding

Ed_PortOrange
Ed_PortOrange Member Posts: 110
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Just wondering if anyone has had this occur. Now 17 months post I went for my standard 3 month check-up with my ENT. All previous scans have been NED with a 3cm area in the vallecula that they wanted to keep an eye on at future visits. Prior to doing his normal nasal scope to check the throat he wanted to check my tongue. With one hand he held my tongue out and used his other hand and a single finger to probe the base of tongue for possible lumps. When he was finished I mentioned that he had hit on a tender spot with his probing. I usually carry a spit cup to help clear the continual mucous I have and the next spit I took there was blood mixed in. This lasted for a couple minutes, nothing major just a little blood. After performing the scope he said all looked ok and he could not locate where the blood had originated. Based on what he saw he felt the only way to know if anything was recurring was to do a biopsy. He is referring this info to my Rad/Onco doc for his opinion.

Just when you're feeling that all's clear, out jumps a demon of doubt.

Healthy wishes,
Ed

Comments

  • palmyrafan
    palmyrafan Member Posts: 396
    #2
    Blood
    I am not a doctor but I have tumors in my nasal cavities, ears and brain. I hate the nasal scopes and always seem to come out of my chair when they occur.

    I have had a couple of instances when a little blood tinged mucus will come out the mouth after the scope is complete. Not always, but a couple of times. When I ask the ENT about it, she says that can happen if your sinus cavities are dry, you have recently finished treatment or if your nasal passages are very narrow. The mucus then can run down the back of your throat making it appear that it is coming out of your mouth.

    Again, I am no doctor, so i would check with yours again or do some research (isn't the internet wonderful for research?).

    Good luck!

    Teresa
  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    #3
    Pull my finger, not my tongue
    Sorry. Anyway, Doug's not online today (flying to Mexico) so I'll say what I think he would: he had a fissure under/beside his tongue that even the ENT could not see (sort of the base, where it meets the jaw hinge). It opened up a week or so after his neck dissection and was likely radiation-damaged tissue that got pulled apart during examination or during the operation.

    His rad doctor was able to see it, probably because he expected it. He says it is slowly filling in from the bottom, but that the upper layer is still very soft and fragile - I don't remember Doug bleeding, but it was very, very painful for a few weeks there (just when we thought we were done with pain - whee).

    I agree that it is good to check - ours was confident enough to wait for the next scan (about a month) and look that way; he claims he can tell the difference between a healing ulcer and cancer.

    From what I've read, you never get over feeling that the other shoe is going to drop, nor worrying that every little freckle, cough, bump or sore throat is cancer. Just remember that the yin to doubt's yang is hope - neither would exist if we had certainty; I'll live with doubt in order to also get the hope.
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #4
    Hi Ed

    Don’t sweet it right now a lot of times after my ENT would scope me I would bleed for days after. Everything in your nasal area has been damaged by the radiation treatment and blood vessels are very easy to bleed there.

    Wishing you the best
    Hondo

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