When you cough up blood emanating from the respiratory tract and lungs, this may be known as hemoptysis. The blood may be coming from the nose, mouth or even the throat and airway passages, which are leading to the lungs. It could also be coming from the lungs. Spitting up blood from the respiratory tract and lungs is a cause of concern because in most cases, it indicates an infection or a disease.
You will need to seek immediate medical attention when you start coughing up blood from your respiratory tract or lungs. Sometimes, the spitting of blood may occur in form of blood-tinged mucus. When this happens to a healthy nonsmoker, in most cases, it may just be a mild infection.
A ruptured tiny blood vessel may cause this problem and it may be due to bronchial infection or the sudden pressure exerted when one coughs. While hemoptysis refers to the condition of coughing up blood, which is from the respiratory track or the lungs, on the other hand, you may cough up blood but it does not come from the lungs or respiratory tract. The blood may come from the stomach or gut. Therefore, you need to see a doctor to confirm where the blood is coming from.
Causes of spitting up blood from lungs and respiratory tract
The major cause of spitting or coughing up blood is a condition is a condition known as chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis. In people who smoke or are at risk of having lung disease, coughing up blood may be a sign of a serious illness. Some of these conditions may be pulmonary embolus, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and COPD.
Hemoptysis may also arise from inhalation of foreign substances or particles of food, which causes the blood vessels to rupture. In a situation where blood comes from other parts other than the respiratory tract, it is referred to as pseudohemoptysis. For example, vomiting blood or hematemesis is a kind of pseudohemoptysis.
Hemoptysis may be classified as mild, moderate, or massive. It is referred as massive if there is much blood that is being coughed up to a point where it interrupts breathing. This should be regarded as a medical emergency because the chances of losing life are high in such a situation.
A majority of patients who die because of hemoptysis usually suffer from lack of oxygen or asphyxiation. In this case, the oxygen supply is impaired by the blood that is filling up the respiratory tract and preventing breathing. In mild hemoptysis, small amount of blood is spitted. The blood may be sputum streaked, and in this situation, the problem may not cause permanent damage and could just disappear on its own without posing serious problems.
However, patients need to know that even in situations where mild hemoptysis is experienced, it could result in critical breathing problems.
Other causes of spitting up blood from respiratory tract are throat infection and lung cancer. People who smoke cigarettes may have irritation of throat, which may be due to excessive coughing.
Emphysema is a condition, which damages the air sacs or alveoli in lungs. It is one among the diseases, which are collectively given the name chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. The major cause of emphysema is smoking. In emphysema, it makes the inner walls of alveoli to weaken and tear open or rupture which may result in bleeding and coughing up of blood.
Pneumonia can inflame air sacs in lungs. The alveoli fill up with pus or fluid and cause one to cough pus or phlegm. An infection in the lungs may result in bleeding which causes one to spit up blood. Pneumonia may be caused by a virus, bacteria or fungi.
Another cause of coughing up blood is pulmonary embolism, where there is blockage of pulmonary artery in lungs. Tuberculosis is a condition, which affect lungs. It is caused by bacteria and may result in spitting blood too.
Treating symptoms of coughing up blood
Depending on what is causing a person to spit up blood, there are different treatments that can be offered. A simple throat irritation occurring because of excessive coughing can be treated using over the counter medications like cough suppressants and throat lozenges. Doctors will conduct tests to determine the cause of condition and offer appropriate medication.
The treatment is first aimed at stopping the bleeding, which is resulting in coughing up blood. After that, the cause of the bleeding is then treated. In case of an infection by bacteria, a doctor may prescribe you some antibiotics. Where severe bleeding is occurring, surgery may be done to stop it. This is conducted through a procedure known as endovascular embolization.
You should call a doctor if you are coughing up blood after you have had a fall or injury to chest or you cough up blood that amounts to a few teaspoons. You also need to call a doctor if you are coughing up blood and it is also appearing in stool or urine. Any accompanying symptoms like light-headedness, dizziness, fever, and shortness of breath in a situation where you are spitting blood should prompt immediate medical attention.
