How To Treat Coughing Blood

Coughing up blood can be frightening. The blood may come from the lungs, stomach, or throat. You may cough up a few thin streaks of bright red blood. This probably is not a cause for concern. Coughing up large amounts of bright red blood or rust-coloured mucus from the lungs can be a symptom of a more serious condition.

Several conditions can make you cough up blood from the lungs. These include bronchitis and pneumonia, or more serious problems such as cancer or a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolus).

Depending on what is causing your cough, it may go away after the illness is treated. Your doctor may tell you not to suppress the cough with cough medicine if it is better for you to cough up the blood and spit it out.

The coughing up of blood that originates from below the level of the larynx is known as hemoptysis. This can vary in terms of severity depending on the amount of blood being expelled. This disease is a common condition, but on an average, less than 5% of hemoptysis cases are life threatening.
Hemoptysis rarely affects children. The symptoms of this condition include:
Sudden onset of a cough with bloody phlegm

1. Fever
2. Anorexia and weight loss
3. Dyspnoea
4. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea
5. Fatigue

Chest pain: Medical attention should be sought in cases where this condition recurs often, if it lasts for longer than a fortnight or if the volume of blood expectorated is more than 30ml per day. The various tools that help in the diagnosis of this condition are: Chest radiography: This imaging modality helps lateralize bleeding and understand the amount of lung involvement. It is quick, inexpensive and can also help detect other underlying abnormalities. Bronchoscopy: This involves the insertions of a rigid or flexible endoscope into the bronchial passages to check the airways and determine active bleeding sites.

MDCT: A multidetector CT is a non-invasive imaging tool that provides a comprehensive evaluation of airways, lung parenchyma, and thoracic vessels. It can also be used to uncover potential causes of bleeding such as bronchiectasis, pulmonary infections and lung cancer. In some cases, a multidetector CT angiography may also be used.

Oral antibiotics are usually the first stage of treatment for this condition. Smokers will also be urged to quit cigarettes as this can worsen their condition. Treatment for minor hemoptysis may also include:

1. Oral hemostatics
2. Cough suppressants
3. Anticoagulants
4. Radiation of laser treatment
5. Therapeutic bronchoscopy

In its later stages, hemoptysis can be treated with a minimally invasive procedure known as endovascular embolization or with surgery. In some cases, endovascular embolization may also be sued to stabilise the patient before surgery. This procedure reduces the pressure in the hypertrophic arterial blood vessels and decreases the risk of perioperative bleeding.

Hemoptysis is also one of the most common complaints of lung cancer patients. Depending on the stage of cancer and the amount of blood expectorated, treatment in some cases may not be possible. In such cases, a parenteral opioid and fast-acting benzodiazepine may be administered.

How can you care for yourself at home?

• Make a note of when and for how long you cough up blood. Also note if you are coughing up spit with a small amount of blood, or mostly blood. Take this information to your next appointment with your doctor.
• Increase your fluid intake to at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. This helps keep the mucus thin and helps you cough it up. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase your fluid intake.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• Do not take cough medicine without your doctor's guidance. They can cause problems if you have other health problems. They can also interact with other medicine.
• Do not smoke or use other forms of tobacco, especially while you have a cough. Smoking can make coughing worse. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good.
• Avoid exposure to smoke, dust, or other pollutants.

When should you call for help?

Call for emergency hospital number anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if: 

• You have sudden chest pain and shortness of breath.
• You have severe trouble breathing.

Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have wheezing and difficulty breathing.
• You are dizzy or light-headed, or you feel like you may faint.
• You cough up clots of blood.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if:

• You do not get better as expected.
• You have any new symptoms, such as chest pain with difficulty breathing or a fever.

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