Blood in Cough
- Coughing up blood can be alarming, but isn’t usually a sign of a serious problem if you’re young and otherwise healthy. It’s more a cause for concern in older people, particularly those who smoke.
- The medical term for coughing up blood is haemoptysis.
- You may cough up small amounts of bright red blood, or frothy blood-streaked sputum (phlegm). The blood is usually from your lungs and is often the result of prolonged coughing or a chest infection.
- If the blood is dark and contains bits of food or what look like coffee grounds, it may be coming from your digestive system. This is a more serious problem and you should go to hospital straight away.
- Common causes of coughing up blood
The most common reasons for coughing up blood are: a prolonged, severe cough, a chest infection – this is more likely if your sputum is discoloured or contains pus, you have a fever, or you have a tight feeling in your chest, bronchiectasis – this is more likely if you’re also wheezy or short of breath, Sometimes a severe nosebleed or bleeding from the mouth or throat can cause blood to come out in your saliva when you cough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans: Blood while spitting can be because of multiple factors like oral ulcers, tooth infection, blood in vomit (ulcer), blood in sputum (lungs) etc. so please visit a doctor to exactly localize the cause
Ans: Yes, smoking can indirectly cause blood in sputum like cancer, infections, chronic bronchitis etc