coughing up blood
March 16, 2012 | 25,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Kathrin Hamann
Good day, I have been coughing up bloody phlegm for a week now. The mucus is a bright red color and usually occurs after multiple coughing fits. I have had a cold with cough and runny nose for a week now. I have a radiology appointment scheduled for Monday for a lung x-ray. My question is, where could this blood be coming from? I am 27 years old and a smoker, currently trying to quit smoking. I would appreciate a response. The blood usually tastes fresh, but in the mornings when I first cough up, it is very dark. Could it possibly be from excessive coughing?
Good evening,
This bloody cough can occur in the context of a respiratory infection, when the mucous membranes are very irritated, blood can leak from a mucous membrane vessel. Coughing irritates the mucous membrane and can cause small blood vessels to burst. The darker blood in the morning is a sign of an older bleeding, when the blood has already clotted. Fresh bleeding occurs mainly after a coughing fit.
As a differential diagnosis, a malignant process is always a possibility, which is why a CT thorax investigation is necessary. Since you are a smoker, the risk of a tumor is higher, so the CT scan is even more important and thorough.
If bleeding from the lungs persists and does not improve with coughing, it is an emergency situation and the emergency services should be called immediately, as as little as 100ml of blood in the lungs can lead to suffocation. And this can be reached very quickly with an arterial lung bleed.
Try to humidify the air (hang damp cloths in the room, inhale with salt water), irritated airways can be soothed with menthol-containing vapors (Wickvaporub ointment or Pulmotin on the chest and back).
Drink plenty of warm tea (thyme is good for the respiratory system).
Rest and please do not smoke.
All the best
