Hemoptysis (Coughing Up Blood)

Hemoptysis is the medical term for what is commonly called coughing blood. A more professional definition of hemoptysis is that it is the expectoration of blood or blood-stained sputum coming from one or more organs and components of the respiratory system, such as larynx, bronchi, lungs or trachea.

An older definition of hemoptysis characterized it simply as the presence of blood in sputum, but the enumeration of possible sources of blood was added to avoid diagnosis confusion with some mouth bleeding conditions that can make a normal cough look like a bloody cough.

Hemoptysis is indeed an important and alarming symptom, and often indicates the presence of a severe respiratory disease.

Causes Of Hemoptysis

Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) can be caused by a number of different factors. Most commonly, it presents as a consequence of pneumonia or bronchitis, but it is also present in diseases like tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, coccidioidomycosis, pulmonary embolism, lung neoplasm or pneumonic plague.

Goodpasture’s syndrome, Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome (known as HHT or Telangiectasia) and Wegener’s granulomatosis are rarer causes of this condition.

Hemoptysis can also be caused by non-disease, external factors. This includes consequences of treatment with anticoagulation drugs, trauma and ingestion of harmful foreign objects (commonly in children).

Treatment Of Hemoptysis

Treatment of hemoptysis (coughing up blood) depends on its cause and the process which produces the respiratory bleeding injury.

Prior to treatment, it is important to determine where the blood present in sputum comes from. As a general rule, if the blood is bright red, it comes from the respiratory system. If, on the other hand, the blood is dark, almost black, it comes from the stomach or intestines.

The professional will know what action to take based on the source of the hemoptysis.

Prevention Of Hemoptysis

Hemoptysis can be sometimes prevented by staying away from cigarette smoke and heavily polluted areas. These conditions favor the development of infections and other diseases that can severely harm your respiratory system and lead to the presence of hemoptysis (coughing up blood).

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