Important:
If you are producing blood or bloody sputum, consult your doctor as this may be seen in some important diseases.
Spitting up blood (hemoptysis) is producing blood or bloody sputum. The most common cause of spitting blood is spitting up bleeding from cracks in the throat mucosa after pharyngitis. Pharyngeal mucosa may become sensitive and small bleeding foci may develop in frequent coughs for a long time. Bronchitis is another most common cause.
The most common causes of hemoptysis:
- Bronchitis
- Pharyngitis
- Infectious pneumonias
- Pulmonary embolism
- Bronchogenic carcinoma
- Mitral stenosis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Tuberculosis
- Granulomatous diseases
- Bronchiectasis
- Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations
- Idiopathic hemosiderosis
- Goodpasture syndrome
- Coagulation disorders
- Aspergillosis
Patients with bronchiectasis often have a history of sinusitis or recurrent episodes of pneumonia or bronchitis. Smelling sputum is also a common finding.
Patients with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis often have anemia. Cough and hemoptysis occur. It is usually seen in children and young adults.
Uremia may accompany the symptoms in Goodpasture syndrome. Kidney disease symptoms may precede hemoptysis.
Coagulation disorders are usually noticed earlier and hemoptysis is only one of the symptoms of coagulation disorders.
Aspergillosis is the formation of aspergillus fungal balls in the lung. It is more common in immunocompromised patients. It can also be seen together with tuberculosis. They are mostly elderly and debilitated patients.
Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations usually have a familial history of pulmonary arteriovenous malformation anomaly. Dyspnea may also be added to the table. In addition, hematemesis (vomiting blood), cerebral hemorrhage, melena or anemia may occur.