http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003073.htm( X' R) F; W; _4 t9 f
Coughing up bloodEmail this page to a friendShare on facebookShare on twitterBookmark & SharePrinter-friendly version
; S& k, l1 C" v, y& \7 o2 O$ mCoughing up blood is the spitting up of blood or bloody mucus from the lungs and throat (respiratory tract).: o0 V* f1 S0 a* {7 C7 m; h% C
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Hemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood from the respiratory tract.' r8 _! ?# l/ m+ G+ `' Z2 @. L
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Considerations
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4 R4 e. `( D5 {2 ~, @Coughing up blood is not the same as bleeding from the mouth, throat, or gastrointestinal tract.
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Blood that comes up with a cough often looks bubbly because it is mixed with air and mucus. It is usually bright red, although it may be rust-colored. Sometimes the mucus may only contain streaks of blood." V7 L- H8 I- j
! `1 e1 Q! c( qCauses
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y9 f3 ~) l2 p0 I, JA number of conditions, diseases, and medical tests may make you cough up blood, including:) W, Y2 c/ z% [6 s( Q& E5 W
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Blood clot in the lung
2 D6 g) k6 i* t6 v4 O. C. x' R; I5 v/ rBreathing blood into the lungs (pulmonary aspiration)
1 B' q6 Z; }* S. H$ hBronchoscopy with biopsy
3 M" D3 i% a% {" Y* Z- ]Bronchiectasis# t+ K6 e$ A4 i) t: V
Bronchitis2 S5 R# x) H( T
Cancer( s- ?" b- X- P& M m1 c$ P/ e2 x
Cystic fibrosis
. a3 Y7 K0 q+ z) b) Z+ GInflammation of the blood vessels in the lung (vasculitis); C/ G8 O4 C! c
Injury to the arteries of the lungs
# m" U+ C+ Y" ?" ` i3 ?. MIrritation of the throat from violent coughing (small amounts of blood)
& U# a# ^. h Y+ P6 TPneumonia or other lung infections: O {. o, L% T+ B
Pulmonary edema
: l: @0 f- Y" b( V- C& nSystemic lupus erythematosus% Y3 m g3 `3 J2 O- i
Tuberculosis
3 }9 X/ @/ l8 o2 nHome Care5 m- W% b3 \. N
& W7 X: x+ u3 b. T- KCough suppressants may help if this condition is due to throat irritation from violent coughing. However, cough suppressants may lead to airway blockages in some cases. Always check with your doctor before using them.
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* q9 m+ H6 q. }, }It is very important to note how long you cough up blood, and how much blood is mixed with the mucus. Contact your doctor any time you cough up blood, even if you do not have any other symptoms.
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When to Contact a Medical Professional
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Get medical help right away if you cough up blood and have:
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A cough that produces more than a few teaspoons of blood, \/ ~+ G8 M' G! M
Blood in your urine or stools
' j( h0 K: m- m7 ]# TChest pain9 b$ B! P4 b4 \1 y& o- ?
Dizziness( s$ m* M8 p( q* t7 U
Fever
( y# u7 _9 h1 }" VLight-headedness( E3 i2 q/ d, N G
Severe shortness of breath
8 O, O8 F3 g, l8 U& tWhat to Expect at Your Office Visit! X1 ?2 ~% f0 A- Q/ {9 ~3 k: l
5 X* R0 M! _0 c1 V" Z8 t) IIn an emergency case, your doctor will give you treatments to control your condition. The doctor will then ask you questions about your cough, such as:
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Type
* t' j. h% M3 m/ j' b/ DAre you coughing up large amounts of blood (massive hemoptysis)?
5 ^) t3 v% k( _; B" w$ ~8 }9 Q. B4 o) pCan you see blood when you cough up something?* M$ @3 ?( T0 P/ _4 g1 I; Z
How many times have you coughed up blood?
8 s% N+ Y/ v& @. p" i7 Z$ D: nIs there blood-streaked mucus (phlegm)?
" v) d1 `$ Y' Z$ p- l" d! C2 NTime pattern
) t3 J: n" k2 D* qDid it begin suddenly?5 ^8 W. C( v/ c/ t7 y
Has it increased recently?
9 `/ z- z% j8 P$ G5 c0 d/ yFor how many weeks has the cough lasted?/ K( z+ u" y5 N+ P) e, X: X
Is the cough worse at night?5 ]4 S" u' P8 c! h: T
What other symptoms do you have?2 @) Y5 R: [4 [1 _! j+ Z2 D
The doctor will do a complete physical exam and check your chest and lungs. Tests that may be done include:
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Bronchoscopy, a test to view the airways
4 M( s6 ]/ ^' g& B3 iChest CT scan
) o8 O8 j% C3 D3 w7 KChest x-ray9 c9 U1 L; ~' J7 o$ s
Complete blood count- s- T0 ]# k, A9 [1 C F) U+ Z
Lung biopsy& n& k7 Y F; |3 g. v
Lung scan, E0 d! x1 E- Y& t1 [/ C2 D
Pulmonary arteriography1 i9 ?1 K! i$ Y- L w* G4 \3 c
Sputum culture and smear( |3 y" o2 S; f2 n. w8 N0 c% E
Test to see if the blood clots normally, such as PT or PTT |