Resolved question:
Is this smoking withdrawal or cancer?
Doctor, I'm scared. I can't sleep. I had a bad cold 3 weeks ago. So I decided to stop smoking permanently. I've smoked 1-2 cigs/day for 2.5 years.
That cold was subsiding slowly. But even now, I've these symptoms:
1) Sore throat - Need to clear throat frequently
2) Mucus - Have to swallow/spit mucus all the time
3) Slight pain in ear when swallowing mucus
4) NO TROUBLE SWALLOWING
5) Friends said I lost some weight.
I've been a slim guy all my life. But still, that got me scared. I can't sleep. I can't do anything with my life. Please please help me.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
ENT Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for using Ask a Doctor Service from DoctorSpring.
1st I want to congratulate you for quitting smoking.
I want to reassure you that none of these symptoms are related either to cancer or to smoking withdrawal.
Every time after cold we develop reactive airway disease( airway become very sensitive and present with throat irritation, excessive mucus production.
This can be easily treated with medication including Tab.Levocetrizine 5 mg once daily for 5 days (antihistamine medication).
You can do Saline garggle for sore throat.
If pain is more than we can antibiotic like Amoxicillin 500 mg two times daily for 5 days.
So you need to worry about this and you can sleep comfortably.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask if you have any further queries.
Thank you.
Regards
Dr. Sunil Jalan
MBBS, DLO,MS(ENT), DNB,DAA
Thanks for the reassurance, doctor. You know, the one thing that was scaring me was my loss of weight.
Can you tell me any definitive symptom for throat or esophageal cancer?
I'm sorry to be asking the same questions again and again. But, I'm very disturbed at the moment. Please do understand :(
Hello,
As you are slim, a little weight loss with be obvious. So measure your weight and check how much weight loss in a month or in 3 months. Once you will know exactly about it, then you can see local physician to find the cause for weight loss. But this not related to your other symptoms.
Oesophageal cancer usually present with difficulty in swallowing, patient can't swallow solid food.
Throat cancer causes voice changes.All this i have written for your satisfaction. Right now you don't have any cancer. Cancer of throat and oesophagus is very very rare in young people and you don't have any symptoms of same.
Hope this helps.