Every day I cough up what looks like a scab with ugly mucous and blood

Posted by needtoknow @needtoknow, Feb 10, 2016

Every day I cough up what looks like a scab with ugly mucous and tiny amounts of blood. It seems to come from the back of my throat or nose. My doctor has seen the scab but does not see anything wrong. This, to me, seems really odd. Has anyone had this problem?

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@emsnoseiscured

Navage 1-2 times daily and a nasal emollient daily - Ponaris is what I use. It's a question of maintenance forever I'm afraid, if you suffer from it. Totally worth the effort/cost though. I used to live in fear of one of those things dislodging in front of other people!!

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@emsnoseiscured did you try the neilmed saline nasal rinse bottle before you tried the navage? I just started the rinse 2 days ago and I've already dislodged a baby scab! I was going to buy the navage but curious to know if you've had any luck with the rinse.

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@needtoknow

As you know from my previous post, I have had this same problem. One time, the doctor pulled it out but, as you say, thought nothing of it. It may be partly attributable to GERD but I feel there is a spot somewhere in there where mucous collects and doesn’t drain properly. After the mucous gets stuck there for a while it forms a scab and becomes infected. If I don’t “hack it up” regularly, it really becomes infected and I have to take an antibiotic. I know this sounds gross, but hacking it up sometimes is really difficult. Wish I could find a doctor that could/would fix this. Had an MRI of my sinuses but they could not find anything - I think that is because it is just a little “dent” or “ledge” back there that collects mucous and doesn’t drain and they cannot see it in an MRI. Let us know how you are doing with this. Good luck!

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Omg I have that exact same thing, needtoknow! It's gross, difficult to cough up the scab and if you don't it gets really painful. You're right about how it feels. It just like there is a pocket that I can't quite swallow properly. A scab starts building on the sore spot after a while and I have to make these horrendous hacking noises and persist for hours to the horrid thing up. Even then, it almost choaks me coming out. I've never been to a doctor about it. I tend to think everything is cancer, freak out and stick my head in the sand. I lost my mum to Lung Cancer 12 years ago and I have been paranoid about getting cancer ever since. Atm I have one swollen lymph node in my neck and a bit of a sore throat. I immediately hop online and regret it after seeing the list of cancers it could be. Anyway, I digress. I just wanted to say that I thought I was the only one on the planet with that weird scab thing in the back of my throat. If you have any insights please reach out. Hugs.

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@edeng

Omg I have that exact same thing, needtoknow! It's gross, difficult to cough up the scab and if you don't it gets really painful. You're right about how it feels. It just like there is a pocket that I can't quite swallow properly. A scab starts building on the sore spot after a while and I have to make these horrendous hacking noises and persist for hours to the horrid thing up. Even then, it almost choaks me coming out. I've never been to a doctor about it. I tend to think everything is cancer, freak out and stick my head in the sand. I lost my mum to Lung Cancer 12 years ago and I have been paranoid about getting cancer ever since. Atm I have one swollen lymph node in my neck and a bit of a sore throat. I immediately hop online and regret it after seeing the list of cancers it could be. Anyway, I digress. I just wanted to say that I thought I was the only one on the planet with that weird scab thing in the back of my throat. If you have any insights please reach out. Hugs.

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hi, please don't be worried the scab is cancer & I send my condolences for losing your mom to cancer. I've had the fun of having this scab cough up for over 20 years. It has varied in frequency. Used to be only once every 10 days or so , the last few years it's been every other day. Keep track of it of course for any change, but don't fret too much. Until I saw on this site others had the same thing FINALLY I knew i wasn't the only one. For 20 years no doctor ever would give it any consideration. they ALL said never heard of such a thing, it'll likely go away, it's just an allergy, if you've had it so long it isn't any problem etc... The best luck i've had is occasional saline mist for nose, (you can get at any store), have hot beverage in mornings, inhale steam when in the shower. It doesn't stop them but at least they dislodge a little more gently . it does cause a sore throat feeling. See your doc about the sore thoat though. i've had many tonsil stones over the years, which can be causeing some of the sore throat. See the doc, and don't fret. 🙂 best of luck, hope you get some relief, have it be more manageable and feel better soon!

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@jea1

hi, please don't be worried the scab is cancer & I send my condolences for losing your mom to cancer. I've had the fun of having this scab cough up for over 20 years. It has varied in frequency. Used to be only once every 10 days or so , the last few years it's been every other day. Keep track of it of course for any change, but don't fret too much. Until I saw on this site others had the same thing FINALLY I knew i wasn't the only one. For 20 years no doctor ever would give it any consideration. they ALL said never heard of such a thing, it'll likely go away, it's just an allergy, if you've had it so long it isn't any problem etc... The best luck i've had is occasional saline mist for nose, (you can get at any store), have hot beverage in mornings, inhale steam when in the shower. It doesn't stop them but at least they dislodge a little more gently . it does cause a sore throat feeling. See your doc about the sore thoat though. i've had many tonsil stones over the years, which can be causeing some of the sore throat. See the doc, and don't fret. 🙂 best of luck, hope you get some relief, have it be more manageable and feel better soon!

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I think you meant to say it’s NOT cancer.

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@beebuzz

I think you meant to say it’s NOT cancer.

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Yes, thanks, sorry for any confusion. The scab issue is NOT cancer related. I'm not a dr. But me having the issue for 20 years suggests it's nothing "serious", although pretty dang annoying to live with.

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@jea1

Yes, thanks, sorry for any confusion. The scab issue is NOT cancer related. I'm not a dr. But me having the issue for 20 years suggests it's nothing "serious", although pretty dang annoying to live with.

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I’m struggling with this for 10 years, it’s very hard and some times that nasty crusty piece instead of coming in my mouth to spit it out stuck in my throat and I cough and cough to get it out, that hurts and horsens my voice, sometimes I loose voice, I have been about 8-9 ent and every one icc bc them said “I never saw thing like this, 🤷‍♀️ “, the last ent said he have had a couple patients after I showed him my pic what I hawking up, he decided to do surgery, but not sure if it will help, I’m editing call from surgery nurse about my surgery day (first they have to contact insurance company about the cost), also I have tonsil stones, But my ent didn’t recommend me the surgery right now when I’m suffering from these scabs, because the recovery from tonsil stone surgery for adult can take up to 10 days and bd very painful, can you imagine pain and I have to hawk up the scabs.I have done ct scan for nasals, I will keep updated if surgery helped

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@vita61

I’m struggling with this for 10 years, it’s very hard and some times that nasty crusty piece instead of coming in my mouth to spit it out stuck in my throat and I cough and cough to get it out, that hurts and horsens my voice, sometimes I loose voice, I have been about 8-9 ent and every one icc bc them said “I never saw thing like this, 🤷‍♀️ “, the last ent said he have had a couple patients after I showed him my pic what I hawking up, he decided to do surgery, but not sure if it will help, I’m editing call from surgery nurse about my surgery day (first they have to contact insurance company about the cost), also I have tonsil stones, But my ent didn’t recommend me the surgery right now when I’m suffering from these scabs, because the recovery from tonsil stone surgery for adult can take up to 10 days and bd very painful, can you imagine pain and I have to hawk up the scabs.I have done ct scan for nasals, I will keep updated if surgery helped

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@vita61-
I would advise you to do your research on unnecessary surgeries recommended by ENTs.
I’m curious if he is classifying this as “post nasal drip”? Or what he is documenting after your CT scan.
I am also curious if this ENT asked about your history, allergies, diet and overall lifestyle?
Tonsil stones are also from diet and oral hygiene.
All tonsil stones are, are bacteria from food/saliva or reflux that accumulates in the pocket areas of your tonsils. With a really healthy diet, thorough teeth and tongue cleaning and gargling of warm salt water can greatly help.
Be very cautious of an ENT that recommends surgery, especially if he has not provided you with a maximum conservative therapy approach. If this was a first time visit and he is recommending surgery, do more research. This is your upper respiratory system that will be being operated on. Your first line of defense and protection. It’s a very vital part of the body.

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@vita61

I have same issue for about 10 years, actually longer, but it worsened 10 years ago, I get the scabs every 2 days.The first I feel like I have difficulties to breathe, I start to hawk to get something out.By doing that it’s irritating my throat and I’m loosing voice (feeling like laryngitis).Also by coughing a lot and trying to get the scab out my chest hurts, and sometimes when I choke trying hard, I get horrible head ache-it feels like my brain will explode.When I get the scab out, I feel again like a normal human, I can breath.To get the scab out I start with gargling throat and let the saline run through nose(kinda help loosen the scab)Have seen about 6 ENT, showed the discussing scab pictures, 5 of them said, seeing it first time and don’t have idea what it is.#6 said he went to college for 8 years and never heard about it, but have had a couple patients who has same symptoms and pictures.Checked with little camera my nose and throat, said everything looks ok.Had CT on my nose, no big issues My insurance company denied my throat CT scan, I can’t afford to pay all out pocket 😢.Right now was trying to get the scab out, i hawked, and that piece of scab didn’t come to my mouth, but sticked somewhere in my throat (I’m coughing for 5 hours now, my chest hurts like hell, voice gone (sometimes I feel I don’t want live anymore and suffer, a specially when doctors can’t help and not even trying .😢

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Just an other scab, I have to get them out every day, sometimes i get it out after gargling with saline solution and also using Neilmed sinus rinse bottle to flush my nouse.
Agreed to surgery to scoop the pocket where adenoids are-at the same time my ent is not sure it will help,but at least I give a shot,

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My scabs appear to have disappeared after dealing with them for about 6 months. I was coughing a blood tinged scab up every 3 days - looked just like the pictures posted on this thread. We traveled to a state with high humidity for two weeks and they stopped. They never started up after returning home - it is getting warmer where we live so maybe that is why. Wondering if it is a dryness condition for me. Hoping they do not return!

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