Coughing Up Blood with Mucus
Coughing up blood with mucus – Coughing up blood can be alarming, but it is not usually a sign of a serious problem if you are young and healthy otherwise. It is more a cause of concern in older people, in particular those who smoke.
The Medical Term for Coughing Up Blood is Hemoptysis
You may cough up small amounts of bright red blood, or frothy blood-streaked sputum (saliva and phlegm). The blood is typically of the lungs and is often the result of prolonged cough, or an infection in the chest. If the blood is dark and contains small pieces of food or what seem to be lumps of coffee, you can come from your digestive system. This is a more serious problem and you should go to the hospital right away.
See also: Symptoms of Lung Cancer Due to Smoking
Coughing Up Blood with Mucus: What to do if you Cough Up Blood
See your GP as soon as possible if you cough up blood. It is particularly important to see your doctor if:
- You also have chest pain, dizziness, mild fever, or shortness of breath
- You experience loss of appetite or weight loss that can not be explained
- Cough more than a few teaspoons of blood
- There is also blood in the urine or blood in the stool
Your GP will be able to whether you may have a serious medical condition that needs to be examined and treated. Call NHS 111 or your local Service hours, if you can’t see your eye doctor. You call 999 for an ambulance or go to the nearest Department of accident and emergency (A & E) immediately, if you are breathing or coughing considerable quantities of blood or fighting.
- Cough that is severe and prolonged
- Infection in the chest is more likely if your sputum is discolored or contains pus, you have a fever or have a tight feeling in the chest
- Bronchiectasis is more likely if you griphite or not breathing
- Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs) – this usually causes sudden shortness of breath and chest pain
- Pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) – your sputum will be pink and frothy, and it will probably happen in people with heart problems that already existed
- Lung cancer is more likely if you are over 40 and smoke
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious lung infection associated with fever and sweating; This is increasingly common in the UK, but it can be treated with prolonged antibiotics
- Cancer of the throat or trachea
- Taking anticoagulants – medicines that help stop blood clotting, such as warfarin, dabigatran or rivaroxaban
Coughing Up Blood with Mucus
- History and physical examination. Speaking and researching someone who’s coughing up blood, the doctor will gather clues that help you determine why.
- Chest x-ray. This test may show a mass in the chest, region of fluid or congestion in the lungs or be completely normal.
- Computed tomography (CT). Thanks to the creation of detailed images of structures in the chest, the ct scan can reveal some causes of coughing blood.
- Bronchoscopy. The doctor puts an endoscope (a flexible tube with a camera on its end) through the nose or mouth into the pipe (trachea) and the respiratory tract. Using bronchoscopy, the doctor can determine the cause of hemoptysis.
- Complete blood count (CBC). Check the number of leukocytes and red cells in the blood, and platelets (cells that help blood clot).
- The analysis of urine. Some of the causes of hemoptysis also lead to anomalies in this simple urine test.
- The profile of blood chemistry. This test measures the electrolytes and kidney function, may be abnormal in some causes of hemoptysis.
- Tests for coagulation. Changes in the ability of the blood to the thickening can contribute to bleeding and coughing up blood.
- Gas arterial blood. Testing levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Oxygen levels can be low in people who are coughing up blood.
- Pulse oximetry. The probe (usually the finger) checks the oxygen level in the blood.
- Embolization of the bronchial artery. The doctor advances the catheter through the leg into the artery that supplies blood to the lungs. By injecting dye and viewing the arteries on a video screen the doctor identificeret the source of the bleeding. Then block the artery using metal coils or other stuff. Usually the bleeding stops, and other arteries compensate for the newly blocked artery.
- Bronchoscopy. The tools at the end of the endoscope can be used to treat some causes of coughing up blood. For example, a balloon inflated in the airway could help stop the bleeding.