worrisome symptoms

[eagle2020]

Hi

I am 36 male. I never smoked cigarettes but I did smoke water pipe(hookah) heavily(almost daily) for 9 years. Last summer I tasted blood in my mouth after a hookah session (saliva with streak of blood in it). Couple of months later, I tasted blood again in my mouth. Last November, I went to the dentist who checked my oral cavity and found nothing suspicious.I also went to an urgent care center and had an Xray done that was clear. I went to ENT doctor who also found nothing. I went to primary care who ordered another xray that was also clear . Then ordered  a chest CT scan without contrast. This showed a 4 mm nodule along the minor fissure and radiology report read that the nodule was most likely reflective of intrapulmonary lymph node. I quit the hookah on last december 12 but every 2-3 weeks I would have a hookah session. After every session and for 3-4 days I would have pain in specific area in my lung and that pain would radiate to my back and shoulder. I would also spit blood in those 3-4 days for about 2-3 times each of these days. On January 16 I saw a lung specialist who wasn't so worried about the nodule given my age and the radiology report and told me not to worry at all and no follow up was needed. 2 days ago I had another hookah session and had the pain in the specific lung area and also i would spit blood 2-3 times a day. I am becoming so worried that this nodule isn't what the radiology report said and I am thinking of seeing another lung specialist. What are your thoughts about all this and what do you think I should do?

Thank you 

[LexieCat]

Hi, and welcome.  I'm not a medical professional, but from what I've learned about lung cancer, what you're experiencing doesn't sound like that.  A 4 mm nodule, even if it were cancerous, wouldn't be likely to cause any symptoms.  It does sound like the hookah is irritating something, though, so I'd consider giving that up altogether if I were you.  Inhaling burning tobacco in any form isn't safe.  Minor mouth/gum irritations can cause bleeding--they often heal quickly and might not be evident on a visit to a dentist. If you have chest pain when you're not smoking, I'd want to be checked for a possible lung infection.  

Maybe someone else here will have a different take.  

[Tom Galli]

Eagle,

I completely agree with Lexie. I'd stop the hookah sessions because there appears to be a strong cause and effect correlation.

Stay the course.

Tom

[BridgetO]

I agree with Tom and LexieCat. The hookah is definitely causing some kind of problem. If you stop and continue to have pain and/or bleeding, I'd see another doctor. 

Bridget O