Is there a doctor in the house...

[Iceborg]

I'm a dentist and occasional cigar smoker too (about 1700 cigars at the moment). From my point of view, cigars increase risks of oral and upper digestive track cancers.
Studies have shown that if poor oral hygiene, tobacco and alcohol are combined the risks to get oral cancer is greatly increased.

Also using tobacco products will increase the risk of periodontitis.

Still all of those risks are quite low if you only smoke at maximum of one smoke a day. After that those risks are increased. Still I think every cigar smoker should keep their teeth tidy to lessen to risks of those diseases.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GavLew79]

If I smoke a "lot", more than usual, say 5-6 cigars in a week, I get several weeks of (sorry if you're weak-stomached) "green snot"  and "lung butter" in the morning which clears after blowing my nose into a tissue. Sometimes through the day I need to clear my throat or nose of it again, once or twice.  Currently I'm pretty clear, but it will come back, inevitably. It's a small price to pay for the enjoyment it brings. 

Hope you clear up and get well soon. 

[GavLew79]

Sorry to resurrect this...

Perhaps a silly question; how do you *know* when you have a sinus infection?

After every cigar now between 4 and 18 hours later I am chock-full of 'snot'. One nostril tends to be clogged and I get a slow drip in my throat of the old green stuff. 

It eventually loosens and I can blow it out but sometimes it lasts for days. Is this just irritation or could it be infection?

Cheers

[filltang]

1 hour ago, GavLew79 said:

Sorry to resurrect this...

Perhaps a silly question; how do you *know* when you have a sinus infection?

After every cigar now between 4 and 18 hours later I am chock-full of 'snot'. One nostril tends to be clogged and I get a slow drip in my throat of the old green stuff. 

It eventually loosens and I can blow it out but sometimes it lasts for days. Is this just irritation or could it be infection?

Cheers

 

So a "sinus infection" or sinusitis (truly translated as "inflammation of the sinuses") can be a result of several different explanations.

What exactly are your symptoms? Cough? Stuffy? Runny/stuffy nose? Is it productive? Always the "old green stuff" or is it often clear or different colors? When did this begin? How long have this lasted? Is it better or worse? Does anything change over the course of your smoking experiences for you? When do you smoke your cigars (predominantly at night... during the day... before bed?) When are your symptoms the worst?

 

Let's go from here... as soon as I put together a differential I will present my case to my attending @SigmundChurchill

 

P.s. There is no hard and fast rule, but if you are suffering from constant/progressively worsening upper respiratory symptoms (green/yellow phlegm, cough, sneeze, runny/stuffy nose, head stuffiness, etc.) for longer than 10-14 days, you can consider the possibility that your symptoms are secondary to a bacterium, not a virus. At this point, it would be prudent to begin an antibiotic.

[ayepatz]

Quick question - you don’t have a deviated septum, do you?

My nose was broken several times when playing schoolboy rugby, the result being that I now have a deviated septum.

A few years ago, after a persistent sinus infection that lasted a few months, I went to a family friend who specialises in rhinoplasty to see if it was worth straightening it out, as, most of the time, one nostril is occluded.

His take on it was that it was only worth doing the op if I was regularly suffering from sinus infections, otherwise I should just leave well alone.

Just a thought.

 

[SigmundChurchill]

4 hours ago, GavLew79 said:

Sorry to resurrect this...

Perhaps a silly question; how do you *know* when you have a sinus infection?

After every cigar now between 4 and 18 hours later I am chock-full of 'snot'. One nostril tends to be clogged and I get a slow drip in my throat of the old green stuff. 

It eventually loosens and I can blow it out but sometimes it lasts for days. Is this just irritation or could it be infection?

Cheers

It sounds like it could be a chronic sinus infection.  In addition to the signs you have already mentioned, do you feel any pressure or pain above your eyes?  That would indicate the frontal sinuses are inflamed.  Or if it involves the maxillary sinuses, you might feel pain in your upper teeth, especially if you step down hard when walking or if you jump.

Typically, the congestion happens quicker than 4-18 hours after the cigar.  Have you tried not smoking to see if the congestion happens without the cigar?

I don’t like to diagnose someone over the internet because it is hard to get the full picture, but if it is a sinus infection, you will have to lay off the cigars fof 10 days to 2 weeks, and likely take a long course of antibiotics like amoxicillin or Zithromax.  Sinus infections take longer to treat than most respiratory infections, and some doctors will give a 5 day z pack (zithromycin), but I find that with only 5 days, the chance of recurrence is high, so I give 2 z packs (10 days).  Amoxicillin is cheaper, and is given for 10-14 days.  Or even better Amoxicillin-Clavululanate (augmentin) kills more possible bacteria.

You should get checked out, and then you can get the proper prescription.

[GavLew79]

Thanks all for the input. As I suspected, I'll probably need to visit the GP in order to work out what it actually might be. But to answer a few...

I've never really gone more than 10 days without a cigar so I can't tell. There are rare periods where no matter how much I smoke I don't get the green mucus. 

I almost always smoke  in the evening and then notice the effects in the morning. 

As far as I'm aware I don't have a deviated septum. But worth a shout!

Sometimes, if I've just been drinking whisky, no cigar, I get it. I assume due to inhaling the delicious vapours vigorously!? In fact, strong wine does the same. 

I don't think it's repiratory, more ENT. I don't get a cough or feel 'chesty'. The only mucus I do cough up I assume has come from the nasal drip.  When I try to blow my nose my ears crackle as if there is some 'gunk' up there. 

Anyway, thanks again. I guess most other people can smoke and be clear of the mucus, i.e. this is fairly uncommon? 

[LGC]

It would be beneficial to rule out reflux (LPR) issues as well. I’ve had numerous sinus/ear and post-nasal drip issues for a while... that eventually lead to severe complications. I’ve refrained from smoking and drinking for a year now. You can also look into allergy testing.

[GavLew79]

On 8/3/2018 at 3:02 AM, Brandon said:

It would be beneficial to rule out reflux (LPR) issues as well. I’ve had numerous sinus/ear and post-nasal drip issues for a while... that eventually lead to severe complications. I’ve refrained from smoking and drinking for a year now. You can also look into allergy testing.

Hmm. I might look into that, cheers. I have gastro-oesopgageal-reflux-disease (GORD) already and take Omeprazole daily for that. Is LPR similar?

[LGC]

It’s reflux reaching your larynx and pharynx instead of just your esophagus. I had lots of mucus and throat clearing, stuffy noses, sinus issues, etc. This can lead to breathing issues, swallowing issues, chest pains, neck pains, etc. due to constant irritation and inflammation. I was on PPIs for a year but weaned off due to malabsorption and side effects. Diet, weight loss, and lifestyle modifications are the only true treatments.... and surgery if those aren’t effective.

 

[Drguano]

A telltale sign of a sinus infection is when you sneeze like this...

[ayepatz]

57 minutes ago, Drguano said:

A telltale sign of a sinus infection is when you sneeze like this...

Thanks mate. That’s just what happened to my whisky. ?

[lysagrey]

Oh my god these are gross hahha. If you have sinus infection you will be congested

[Bijan]

Back on the original topic, smoking but not inhaling will increase the risk of oral cancer, and easophogeal cancer. Not super high increase to mortality overall though.