lung
March 9, 2012 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Uni-Arzt Freddy Feuerstein
Good evening,
I have the following question: for about 2 weeks, I have occasionally noticed minimal blood in my phlegm or blood threads. I am 43 years old and female. I have been smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day for 25 years. Three weeks ago, my lungs were x-rayed during a hospital stay and a coprostasis was diagnosed. There were no abnormalities on the x-ray. However, I am now worried about the very small traces of blood. Following the hospital stay, I had a stomach and colonoscopy done. A minimal inflammation was found in the colon, as well as a mild inflammation of the stomach lining. This is being treated with Propanzol. I have also been experiencing rising bile fluid in the meantime. Thank you for your response.
Dear inquirer,
first of all, despite your status as a smoker, you are still very young; a malignant lung disease is very unlikely but not entirely ruled out.
Presence of blood in sputum (mucus from the lungs) is never normal, however the question arises as to where the blood is coming from. It could stem from an inflammation in the lung alveoli, it could come from the throat area, or theoretically even from the gastrointestinal tract and be mixed in as a secondary issue.
A lung x-ray may show larger abnormalities, but not the smallest changes. To be absolutely sure, more advanced imaging techniques would need to be used.
If you are now afraid, which I can certainly understand, I would recommend seeking contact with a lung specialist (pulmonologist). Additionally, the sputum should be re-examined, maybe the issue was really in the stomach. This problem is likely to diminish now, the tablets you are taking inhibit stomach acid flow!
Nicotine cessation as well as a comprehensive pulmonary examination seem to me the most sensible way forward, to support you through your uncertainty!
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask!
With warm regards,
Torben C. Müller
