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.

Evidence of Hemoptysis

In humans, the coughing of blood has concentrated the Test on the determination of the amount of the bleeding and all the risks to breathe. The cause of the Hemoptysis has to be identified. Tests for coughing blood include:

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.

Treatments for Hemoptysis

For the people that cough up blood, treatments to try to stop the bleeding, as well as the underlying cause of the Hemoptysis. Treatments for coughing up blood include:

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

What Does it Mean When You Cough Up Blood?

I had a day a cough bad fit the other after I swallowed a bit of water. At the end of a cough with a lot of liquid and some blood to fit coming. I need to go to the doctor or just too much of a cough? What is the meaning of the blood?

Answer: Coughing up Blood (known as Hemoptysis) can be a scary thing. There are many possible causes for Hemoptysis. In your particular case, I think I've probably burst a small vessel from coughing too much. This caused you to cough a small amount of blood. This type of Problem is very likely meaningless unless any other condition of the lung associated. If you are healthy, then it is probably not a big Problem.

There are other causes of Hemoptysis, the I should mention. Often a cause for the coughing of blood is bleeding from a nose. The blood licking the back of the neck, and cough. It is often hard to tell where it came from. Other causes of Hemoptysis, lung cancer, lung infections, such as pneumonia, and a disease of the Lower Airways, bronchiectasis. Since you had this Episode after a cough a little water, I do not believe that these are likely possibilities.

I suggest that you schedule an appointment with your family doctor. He or she can have a more detailed history of your symptoms and perform a complete physical examination. If your doctor is worried about this Episode and wants to perform more research, you can see a referral to a lung doctor. This answer is for General information purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.