Hemoptysis: How dangerous is this coughing up blood condition?

Have you ever coughed up blood? This could be due to a condition called Hemoptysis. The incoming blood while you cough is generally from the lungs. If you are experiencing this, then it could be a serious medical condition.

Troubles in your lungs including blood vessels, infections, or cancer could be the root cause of it. What makes this more dangerous is that it is not quite possible to tell the severity of it. In general, if you are coughing up a lot of blood typically in the range of 100 to 600 mL, then it is better to get medical attention soon.

In this article, we will discuss more about this life-threatening disease, its causes, and treatments.

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What causes Hemoptysis?

Causes of this blood-coughing condition (Image by stockking on Freepik)

The reasons behind coughing up blood could be many. It is to be remembered that coughing up blood itself is not some condition and is a mere by-product of some existing disease. While you are coughing up blood, there could be contents of mucus and air. This makes the blood bubbly.

Here's a look at the possible causes:

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Diseases

Hemoptysis can be caused due to bronchitis, pneumonia or TB. All these can be the culprit behind the coughing up of blood. It can also be caused by asthma, lung cancer, or mild respiratory infections.

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Other causes

These were the diseases that are responsible for this condition. Apart from this, some injury, heart failure, blood clots in the lungs, or cystic fibrosis can also cause it.

Rarely it has been seen that it could also be a side effect of some tests like bronchoscopy or nasal surgery. Moreover, in some cases, no cause of this is found and within some time, it goes away naturally.

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How do we diagnose this dangerous condition?

Diagnosis of hemoptysis (Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik)

If you are coughing up blood, then to diagnose this condition you will have to go through a series of tests, starting from X ray scan for any bulges or mass in your chest that might be causing this.

It should be followed by a CT scan for a detailed view of the lungs. Other tests can determine the cause of hemoptysis like urinalysis, complete blood count, or bronchoscopy. All these tests can be effectively used to determine the severity as well as the root cause of the disease.

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Treatment and prevention of Hemoptysis

Treatment and prevention (Image by stockking on Freepik)

The main focus for the treatment of this condition is to stop the bleeding. The loss of blood can cause further complications so the treatment mainly depends on the severity of the blood in the cough.

If it is not too much, then over-the-counter drugs for cough can do the job. In case of higher levels of blood, going to the hospital is the only resort. Based on the severity, one might need surgery to get it treated.

After the diagnosis, the main source of the bleeding is to be stopped. This could be achieved by iced saline, laser therapy, or medicines to ease up the clots in the body.

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The best way to prevent such adversities is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you stay away from smoking, get medical help when needed, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy balanced diet. If you are getting a persistent cough, make sure you get medical assistance accordingly as ignoring it may lead to hemoptysis.