What Does it Mean When You Cough Up Blood
What does it mean when you cough up blood – Coughing up blood (Hemoptysis) can be a sign of a serious disease. Infections, cancer, and problems in blood vessels or the lung may be responsible. Coughing up blood requires a General medical evaluation unless the Hemoptysis is due to Bronchitis.
Coughing Up Blood: Causes of Hemoptysis
There are many potential reasons for coughing of blood. Causes for coughing blood include:
- Bronchitis (acute or chronic), the most common cause of a cough with blood. Hemoptysis due to Bronchitis is rarely fatal.
- Inflammatory conditions, or autoimmune (Lupus, Wegener’s Granulomatosis, polyangiitis microscopic, Churg-Strauss syndrome, and many others)
- Congestive heart failure, particularly mitral valve
- Tuberculosis, Bronchiectasis, Lung cancer or lung cancer from non-malignant
- Use of blood thinner (anti), Pneumonia, The Lungs
- Arteriovenous malformations (AVMS)
- Crack Cocaine, Trauma such as a gunshot wound or a car accident, Disease Dieulafoy
See also: Coughing Up Blood with Mucus
What Does it Mean When You Cough Up Blood
Hemoptysis can also come from bleeding outside the lungs and respiratory tract. Nasal bleeding or severe vomiting of blood from the stomach can cause the blood in the trachea (air) leak. Then the blood is coughing and appears as Hemoptysis. In many people with Hemoptysis, be never identified a cause. The majority of people with Hemoptysis is not explained, because they cough, six months later, no blood.
- History and physical examination. In conversation with and investigate someone who is coughing blood, a doctor gathers clues that help to identify the cause.
- Chest x-ray. This Test can show a mass in the breast, areas of fluid or congestion in the lungs, or normal.
- Computed (CT). By creating detailed pictures of structures in the inventory, can reveal a CT-Scan some of the causes of coughing up blood.
- Bronchoscopy. A doctor places an endoscopy (a Flexible tube with a camera on the end) through the nose or mouth into the trachea (air) and the respiratory tract. With bronchoscopy can be a doctor will be able to identify the cause of Hemoptysis.
- Complete Blood count (CBC). You can test the number of white blood cells and the red cells in the blood, together with the fields (cells that help blood circulation).
- Analysis of the urine. Certain causes of Hemoptysis result abnormalities simple urine Test.
- Profile of Blood Chemistry. This Test measures the electrolyte and kidney function may be abnormal in some causes of Hemoptysis.
- Tests. To lumps, changes in the ability of the blood may contribute to bleeding and be coughing blood.
- Gas of the Arterial blood. A Test of the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. Oxygen levels can be in people low up coughing up blood.
- Pulse Oximetry. A probe (usually on a Finger) test the amount of oxygen in the blood.
- Bronchial Artery. A doctor puts a catheter through the leg into an artery that supplies blood to the lungs. By the injection of dye, and the display of the arteries on a Video screen, the doctor the source of bleeding identified. This artery is then blocked, using metal coils or other substances. The bleeding usually stops, and other arteries compensate blocked an artery.
- Bronchoscopy. The tools at the end of the endoscopy can be used to treat some causes of a cough with blood. For example, a balloon that is inside of the respiratory tract flat can help to stop the bleeding.
See also: Coughing up Blood Tinged Mucus