Coughing up blood: causes and how to treat it

Definition

What is coughing up blood?

Coughing up or bleeding hemoptysis is a cough accompanied by bleeding. The blood that is drained can be pink to deep red in color and is usually foamy because it is mixed with air and phlegm. The blood that is removed can come from the upper respiratory tract or the lungs.

Coughing up blood indicates a serious health problem because it can be caused by a disease that attacks the respiratory system or a sign of cancer in the lungs.

Therefore, coughing up blood requires proper medical treatment so that it does not cause fatal health effects such as damage to the respiratory system.

How common is this condition?

Coughing with blood can occur when there is bleeding in the throat or in the respiratory tract located in the lungs.

However, in general bleeding is usually caused by long-term viral or bacterial infections in the lower respiratory tract, such as chronic bronchitis and pneumonia. In addition, coughing up blood is also a typical symptom of tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer.

Signs and symptoms

What are the accompanying signs and symptoms?

Coughing up blood is a symptom of a certain respiratory disease. There are several symptoms or other health problems that often appear together with a cough that is accompanied by blood, namely:

• Cough continuously for more than 3 weeks
• Cough with phlegm
• Pain or pain in the chest
• Hard to breathe
• Shortness of breath
• Headache
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Loss of appetite
• Drastic reduction in body weight

When should I see a doctor?

The more blood that is removed, the more serious the respiratory problems will be experienced. However, it does not mean that when the blood is removed a little, this condition can be ignored.

It is better if you see a doctor immediately when you have a cough accompanied by bleeding. The doctor will then carry out tests to identify the disease that causes the bloody cough that you are experiencing.

From a medical examination, the doctor can determine the type of treatment or prescribe the right medication to cure the disease that causes the bloody cough.

Immediately consult a doctor if you experience conditions, such as:

• Coughing up blood because the chest is injured as a result of a hit or fall.
• The bloody cough has been going on for a week with symptoms that are getting worse.
• Blood that comes out of a cough often appears and disappears irregularly.
• The blood expelled from the cough reaches about a teaspoon.
• The presence of blood in the urine and feces.
• Experiencing chest pain, severe headaches, and shortness of breath.
• Coughing up blood is accompanied by weight loss.
• Have a fever that reaches 38 degrees Celsius.

Cause

What causes coughing up blood?

Actually there are various conditions that can cause coughing up blood. Several things cause coughing up blood, including irritation and infection in the respiratory tract to the appearance of cancer.

The American Academy of Family Physicians states that the cause of coughing up blood generally comes from diseases that attack the respiratory system, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and lung cancer.

The following is a complete explanation of the causes of coughing up blood.

1. Bronchitis

Bronchitis can be one cause of coughing up blood. Bronchitis is caused by a bacterial or viral infection that causes inflammation of the airways.

The duration of the symptoms of cough and other disorders determines how serious the severity of the disease is. Acute bronchitis lasts for 2 to 3 weeks. Meanwhile, chronic bronchitis occurs when the cough doesn't stop for more than 3 months.

2. Pneumonia

The next cause of coughing up blood can come from pneumonia. This disease is caused by inflammation of the alveoli sacs in the lungs caused by a bacterial infection, some other possibilities by viruses or fungi. However, pneumonia is more commonly caused by a bacterial infection. Streptococcus pneumoniae .

This infection process affects the secretion or production of mucus around the lungs to become more intensive, stimulating a cough with phlegm that can mix with blood. Pneumonia can cause a bloody cough that lasts for weeks.

3. Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis or TB is one of the most common causes of coughing up blood. This condition is caused by a bacterial infection Mycobacterium tuberculosis .

When the immune system is strong enough to stop the bacteria from growing, cough symptoms usually don't appear. Conversely, when bacteria start to actively infect, it can cause a chronic cough that lasts more than 3 weeks. In severe conditions, coughing can be accompanied by bleeding.

4. Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is described as a chronic respiratory disorder due to bacterial infection of the bronchial tubes in the lungs. Inflammation of the bronchi in bronchiectasis causes the bronchial walls to thicken, making it difficult for the lungs to clear mucus.

During an exacerbation period, when the symptoms worsen, a bloody cough may occur. Bronchietaksis is a disease that is permanent and can recur at any time.

5. Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a condition in which cells in the lung tissue develop rapidly, causing tumors.

Just like other cancers, the symptoms of lung cancer are difficult to detect. Coughing up blood is a symptom that most often appears when the cancer has spread and is at an advanced stage.

Another cause of coughing up blood

Apart from the respiratory ailments above, here are other health conditions and ailments that can also be the cause of a bloody cough:

• Wounds in the upper respiratory tract
• Wounds in the upper digestive tract
• Neck cancer
• Cystic fibrosis
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease): COPD indicates the presence of serious damage to the lungs resulting in a continuous decline in lung function over time.
• Narrowing of the heart valve: this disease can cause the sufferer to have difficulty breathing, especially when lying down.
• Pulmonary embolism: a condition in which a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the lung.
• Pulmonary endema: condition there is a buildup of fluid in the lungs. This condition commonly occurs in people who have heart disease.
• Anticoagulation: a condition caused by taking excessive blood thinners (anticoagulants) to stop blood clots.
• Chest injury: trauma to the lung bones and muscles due to accidents and collisions can cause a bloody cough.

Risk factors

What increases my risk for coughing up blood?

In addition to the diseases above, several other health conditions can also make you more at risk of coughing up blood. Here are some conditions and habits that make you more susceptible to diseases that cause coughing up blood:

• Suffering from HIV / AIDS.
• Have an immunodeficiency condition or a weak immune system.
• Undergo medication such as chemotherapy or taking drugs that suppress the immune system.
• Having close and intense contact with people with infectious respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis.
• Is an active smoker or has a history of smoking.
• Are exposed to cigarette smoke continuously and frequently.
• Have a family history of disease with blood clotting disorders.

Diagnosis

How to diagnose the disease that causes this condition?

The right treatment for coughing up blood depends on the cause. In people who have this type of cough, the general examination focuses on the volume of blood expelled, the frequency of coughing up blood, and the risk of respiratory problems it causes.

At the initial examination, the doctor will ask about other symptoms experienced by the patient, how long the cough with blood lasts, what the blood looks like, and how much blood is being drained.

Next, the doctor will perform a series of laboratory tests on the chest and lungs, such as the following:

• X-ray or chest x-ray
• CT scan
• Bronchoscopy
• Blood test
• Lung biopsy
• Sputum culture (sputum culture)
• Pulse oximetry

Medicine and medication

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How to treat coughing up blood?

The goals of medical treatment are to stop bleeding and treat diseases that cause coughing up blood.

Most of the diseases that cause a bloody cough cannot be cured with non-prescription cough medicines or natural cough remedies. Diseases that cause coughing up blood need to be treated with medical drugs from a doctor.

If it is known that the causing condition is inflammation due to an infection in the airway, the doctor will usually prescribe a blood cough medicine such as:

• Cough suppressant: cough medicine dextromethorphan serves to suppress the frequency of cough that lasts continuously.
• Steroids: medicine to relieve inflammation that causes bleeding.
• Antibiotics: This drug is useful for killing bacteria that cause infections in the airways such as pneumonia, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, and tuberculosis.
• Antivirus or antiviral: This bloody cough medicine can be used to inhibit viral infections that cause coughing up blood.

Advanced bloody cough treatment

In more serious cases, the cough medicine that has been mentioned will not necessarily stop the internal bleeding that occurs. If bleeding persists, your doctor will recommend that you undergo inpatient treatment at the hospital.

Some other bloody cough treatment procedures that can be done to stop bleeding are:

• Embolization: this procedure will be performed if it is found that the bleeding is caused by a large blood vessel. Embolization includes procedures bronchial artery angiography namely inserting a tube that functions to inject chemicals to close leaks or bleeding holes in the blood vessels.
• Bronchoscopy: an endoscope is inserted through the upper respiratory tract into the lungs to look for sources of bleeding or to remove blood clots that obstruct the flow of oxygen in the airways.
• Blood transfusion: if there is a blood clotting disorder that triggers bleeding, the best way to deal with it is by blood transfusions. The blood elements that are transfused can be blood plasma, leukocytes (white blood cells), erythrocytes (red blood cells), and platelets.
• Chemotherapy: chemotherapy procedures are applied to cure a cough accompanied by phlegm and blood due to lung cancer.
• Operation: The goal of surgery is to remove the part or tissue in the lung that is damaged either due to infection or exposure to cancer cells. This procedure certainly carries a risk of complications, so it is used as a last resort if a bloody cough doesn't go away.

Prevention

How to prevent coughing up blood?

A cough that is accompanied by blood can indicate the presence of certain health problems or chronic diseases. Therefore, it is important for you to be more careful. If the symptoms of coughing up blood continue, the disease that causes coughing up blood that you experience will get worse.

To prevent a cough with blood from occurring in the future, you can avoid various risk factors that can increase your chances of contracting the disease that causes coughing up blood.

If the bloody cough is caused by smoking, you should start smoking less or even stop smoking altogether.

As with a polluted environment where the smoke causes infection in the respiratory system, you should avoid doing intensive activities in that environment.