My commute in the morning – 20 miles with 30% rural, 60% town with light traffic- has me hacking black stuff off my chest whilst in the shower, it’s always been like this. Anyone else?

I don’t smoke, never have and it looks much too particulate to be blood. Doesn’t happen if I run or swim in the morning. I was wondering about popping to the dr’s to see if there could be any longterm issues before I consider some sort of mask.

Anyone arrived at any conclusions regarding this?

Yeah, I’d definitely consider a mask (as long as it only happens after a commute. If it’s happening after you would realistically have ‘cleared’ the lungs, see the doc)!

DrP

I commuted in Manchester’s rush hour traffic for ten years. I spat plenty of green stuff onto Oldham Road, but never black. See a doctor mate.

Sorry to hear about the Black Lung, Sean.

Anyone know how effective those masks are?

I’ve always wondered how something that can allow enough air through to breathe hard can be doing much in the way of filtering? I would have thought that the Respro site would have some science on there saying how effective they are, but there’s none.

Is that a sign in itself? 10-15 miles/day in Norf London, so I’m interested!

Holy cow. I never coughed up anything in all my days of urban cycling.

The only time anything remotely similar has happened to me is that I got a few small black bits in my hanky after a whole evening of tending a smoky campfire that kept blowing strong smoke right into my face.

+100 for a doctor. You should only be coughing up black if you’ve been a coal miner for 20 years.

I commute through heavy traffic – 40 minutes each way. Behind buses and lorries churning out clouds of thick smoke in the heart of the Black Country. I have never coughed up anything…

I remember reading somewhere that the respro type masks were useless in anything but really really badly polluted areas, and even then they weren’t that good.

commuted by bike for 29yrs
never coughed up anything black or bloody.
plenty of green phlegm and loads of shooting snot from my nostrils……………. 8)

yikes! Get to a doctor!

Altered blood might appear black & particulate like. Off to a doctor asap.

Doh.

Anyone know how effective those masks are?

I think they do a good job – lots of people with asthma comment on how they improve things.

I’ve was certainly blowing out black stuff from my nose before I used one (not coughing it up mind). They also have an added benefit in cold weather – it’s a bit nasty breathing cold air, and that problem goes away with them.

Hey Sean, How’s the boy with the black stuff? Still with us mate?