What is Coughing Up Blood? Symptoms, Causes, & Home Treatment

Coughing up blood, called hemoptysis in medical terms, means you're bringing up blood or blood-tinged sputum from your lungs or airways. This can range from small streaks of blood mixed with mucus to larger amounts of bright red blood.

While seeing blood when you cough can feel alarming, it's important to know that many causes are treatable. The blood typically comes from somewhere in your respiratory system, which includes your throat, windpipe, or lungs.

What is Coughing Up Blood?

Coughing up blood happens when blood vessels in your respiratory tract break or become irritated. The medical term hemoptysis covers everything from tiny blood streaks to more significant bleeding from your lungs.

Your respiratory system has many small blood vessels that can become damaged from infections, irritation, or other conditions. When these vessels leak, the blood mixes with mucus and comes up when you cough.

It's different from vomiting blood, which comes from your stomach or digestive system. Blood from coughing usually appears frothy or bubbly and may be mixed with sputum or saliva.

What Does Coughing Up Blood Feel Like?

You might taste a metallic or salty flavor in your mouth before you see the blood. Many people describe feeling like something is "bubbling up" from deep in their chest.

The blood can appear in different ways depending on where it's coming from. You might see bright red streaks mixed with clear or colored mucus, or the entire sample might have a pinkish tint.

Some people feel a tickling sensation in their throat or chest before coughing up blood. Others notice a warm feeling in their chest or throat area.

What Causes Coughing Up Blood?

Several conditions can cause you to cough up blood, ranging from minor irritations to more serious health issues. Understanding these causes can help you know when to seek medical attention.

Here are the most common reasons people cough up blood:

• Respiratory infections: Pneumonia, bronchitis, and tuberculosis can inflame and damage blood vessels in your lungs
• Chronic cough: Persistent, forceful coughing can rupture small blood vessels in your throat or airways
• Lung cancer: Tumors can erode blood vessels or cause bleeding in lung tissue
• Blood clots: Pulmonary embolisms block blood flow and can cause bleeding in your lungs
• Medications: Blood thinners like warfarin can make bleeding more likely
• Trauma: Chest injuries or medical procedures can damage respiratory tissues

Less common causes include autoimmune conditions like lupus, heart problems that affect lung circulation, and certain inherited bleeding disorders. Your doctor can help determine which cause applies to your situation.

What is Coughing Up Blood a Sign or Symptom of?

Coughing up blood can signal various underlying conditions, from temporary infections to chronic diseases. The key is understanding what other symptoms appear alongside the bleeding.

For respiratory infections, you might also experience fever, chest pain, or difficulty breathing. These infections cause inflammation that makes blood vessels more likely to leak or rupture.

When lung cancer is the cause, you may notice persistent cough, unexplained weight loss, or chest pain that doesn't go away. The bleeding happens because tumors can grow into blood vessels or create fragile new vessels.

Blood clots in your lungs often cause sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, and rapid heartbeat along with coughing up blood. This represents a medical emergency requiring immediate attention.

Heart conditions can cause blood to back up into your lungs, leading to pink, frothy sputum. This typically happens alongside swelling in your legs and difficulty breathing when lying flat.

Autoimmune conditions like Goodpasture's syndrome or lupus can attack blood vessels in your lungs. These rare conditions often affect multiple organ systems and require specialized treatment.

Can Coughing Up Blood Go Away on Its Own?

Small amounts of blood from minor causes like throat irritation or a forceful cough might stop on their own. However, you should never assume coughing up blood will resolve without medical evaluation.

Even when the bleeding stops, the underlying cause often needs treatment. Infections require antibiotics, while other conditions need specific medical management to prevent complications.

Some people experience occasional blood-tinged sputum from chronic conditions like bronchitis. While this might seem to "go away," it typically returns without proper treatment of the underlying condition.

How Can Coughing Up Blood be Treated at Home?

Home treatment for coughing up blood is very limited because most causes require medical diagnosis and treatment. However, you can take some supportive steps while seeking medical care.

Stay calm and avoid panic, which can make breathing more difficult. Sit upright and try to cough gently rather than forcing it, which could worsen bleeding.

Keep track of how much blood you're seeing and what it looks like. This information helps your doctor understand what's happening and plan appropriate treatment.

Avoid taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medications unless prescribed by your doctor. These can increase bleeding risk and complicate your condition.

Do not try to suppress your cough completely with over-the-counter medications. Coughing helps clear your airways, and suppressing it might trap blood or infected material in your lungs.

What is the Medical Treatment for Coughing Up Blood?

Medical treatment depends entirely on what's causing you to cough up blood. Your doctor will first work to identify the underlying cause through tests and examination.

For infections, antibiotics can clear bacteria causing pneumonia or bronchitis. Antifungal or antiviral medications treat other types of respiratory infections that might cause bleeding.

When blood clots are the cause, doctors use anticoagulant medications to prevent new clots while treating the existing ones. In severe cases, procedures can remove large clots directly.

Cancer treatment might involve surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy depending on the type and stage. Early detection and treatment significantly improve outcomes for lung cancer patients.

For severe bleeding, doctors might perform bronchoscopy to locate and seal bleeding vessels. This procedure uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera to see inside your airways.

Heart conditions require medications to improve heart function and reduce fluid backup into the lungs. Diuretics help remove excess fluid, while other medications strengthen heart contractions.

When Should I See a Doctor for Coughing Up Blood?

You should see a doctor immediately any time you cough up blood, regardless of the amount. Even small amounts can indicate serious conditions that need prompt medical attention.

Seek emergency care right away if you experience these warning signs alongside coughing up blood:

• Difficulty breathing: Shortness of breath or feeling like you can't get enough air
• Chest pain: Sharp, stabbing, or crushing pain in your chest
• Large amounts of blood: More than a few teaspoons or continuous bleeding
• Dizziness or fainting: Signs that you might be losing too much blood
• Rapid heartbeat: Your heart racing or beating irregularly
• Fever: Signs of infection that might be spreading

Even if you feel relatively well, don't delay seeking medical care. Some serious conditions can cause bleeding before other symptoms become obvious.

What are the Risk Factors for Developing Coughing Up Blood?

Several factors can increase your likelihood of coughing up blood. Understanding these risk factors can help you stay alert to potential problems.

Smoking significantly increases your risk by damaging lung tissue and blood vessels. The chemicals in cigarettes cause chronic inflammation that makes bleeding more likely.

Age plays a role, as people over 40 have higher risks for lung cancer and other serious conditions that cause hemoptysis. However, younger people can also develop these problems.

Existing health conditions create additional risks you should discuss with your doctor:

• Chronic lung diseases: COPD, asthma, or pulmonary fibrosis can damage airways over time
• Heart problems: Conditions affecting heart function can cause blood to back up into lungs
• Blood disorders: Conditions affecting clotting make bleeding more likely
• Autoimmune diseases: These can attack blood vessels in your lungs
• Cancer history: Previous cancers might return or spread to your lungs

Certain medications, especially blood thinners, can make bleeding more likely if you develop other conditions. Always inform your doctor about all medications you're taking.

What are the Possible Complications of Coughing Up Blood?

Complications from coughing up blood depend on the underlying cause and how much blood you're losing. While many cases resolve with proper treatment, some can become serious.

Severe bleeding can lead to anemia, making you feel weak, tired, and short of breath. Large amounts of blood loss might require transfusions to replace what you've lost.

Blood in your airways can sometimes block breathing passages, especially if it forms clots. This can make breathing difficult and might require emergency procedures to clear your airways.

Infections causing the bleeding might spread to other parts of your body if not treated promptly. This can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition requiring intensive medical care.

Delayed diagnosis of serious conditions like cancer or blood clots can allow these problems to progress. Early detection and treatment significantly improve outcomes for most conditions.

Aspiration pneumonia can develop if you accidentally inhale blood into your lungs. This secondary infection can complicate your recovery and require additional treatment.

What can Coughing Up Blood be Mistaken for?

Sometimes people mistake other conditions for coughing up blood, which can delay proper treatment. Understanding these differences helps you describe your symptoms accurately to your doctor.

Vomiting blood looks different from coughing up blood. Vomited blood often appears darker, like coffee grounds, and comes from your stomach rather than your lungs.

Nosebleeds can sometimes cause blood to drip into your throat, making you think you're coughing up blood. This blood typically appears brighter red and you might notice nasal congestion.

Bleeding gums or dental problems can cause blood to mix with saliva. This blood usually appears when you spit rather than cough, and you might notice mouth pain or swelling.

Food coloring or certain medications can sometimes tint your sputum red or pink. Beets, for example, can temporarily color body fluids, though this doesn't usually cause concern.

Throat irritation from severe coughing might cause tiny amounts of blood that look more dramatic when mixed with mucus. However, any blood from coughing still warrants medical evaluation.