Hemoptysis
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Updated April 02, 2015.
Hemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood. This can include just a small amount of blood in your sputum or the appearance of straight blood coming from the respiratory tract or lungs. To qualify as hemoptysis the blood must be determined to have actually come from the respiratory tract rather than the mouth, stomach, esophagus, or nasal passageways. Massive hemoptysis is a term that may be used to describe coughing up large amounts of blood which may be life threatening.
What Causes Hemoptysis?
There are many causes of hemoptysis. Some causes include disease or other illness, sometimes hemoptysis can be caused by medical testing or procedures such as a bronchoscopy. Known causes of hemoptysis include:
Small amounts of blood tinged sputum can also occur when the back of the throat becomes irritated by frequent or violent coughing.
The most common causes of hemoptysis in children are lower respiratory infections and the inhalation of a foreign object into the lungs.
Diagnosing Hemoptysis
As previously mentioned, true hemoptysis is blood that is coming from the respiratory tracts or lungs, it must be differentiated from blood that appears in the mouth or throat but originates in the nasal passageways, esophagus or stomach. With the exception of very small amounts of blood tinged sputum after certain medical procedures or from a bad cough, hemoptysis should almost always be evaluated by a physician. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history as well as conducting a physical examination. Some of the following laboratory tests or medical procedures may also be helpful in identifying the root cause of hemoptysis:
Treating Hemoptysis
Massive hemoptysis is a medical emergency. You should call 911 or go to the emergency room any time you are coughing up more than a teaspoon or two of blood, or if you are coughing up blood and also have symptoms such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, feeling light-headed, blue-colored lips, or chest pain.
The treatment of hemoptysis depends on the root cause. For example, pneumonia may be treated with a combination of antibiotics, rest, or in severe cases hospitalization. Blood tinged sputum that is the result of violent coughing may be treated at home with cough suppressant medications and monitoring. Bloody sputum that is the result of a medical procedure such as a bronchoscopy with biopsy may also be monitored at home and should resolve on it's own. Other causes of hemoptysis, such as cancer may require more extensive treatments.
Sources:
American Family Physician. Hemoptysis: Diagnosis and Management. Accessed: February 27, 2015 from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/1001/p1253.html
Medline Plus. Coughing up blood. Accessed: February 27, 2015 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003073.htm
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. What is Bronchiectasis? Accessed: February 28, 2015 from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/brn
Updated April 02, 2015.
Hemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood. This can include just a small amount of blood in your sputum or the appearance of straight blood coming from the respiratory tract or lungs. To qualify as hemoptysis the blood must be determined to have actually come from the respiratory tract rather than the mouth, stomach, esophagus, or nasal passageways. Massive hemoptysis is a term that may be used to describe coughing up large amounts of blood which may be life threatening.
What Causes Hemoptysis?
There are many causes of hemoptysis. Some causes include disease or other illness, sometimes hemoptysis can be caused by medical testing or procedures such as a bronchoscopy. Known causes of hemoptysis include:
- the aspiration of food or other substances into the lungs
- the presence of a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
- fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
- infections of the lungs including pneumonia (very common)
- cystic fibrosis
- acute bronchitis (common)
- chronic bronchitis (including chronic bronchitis caused by cigarette smoking)
- turberculosis
- lung cancer
- systemic lupus erythematosis
- pulmonary hypertension (rare)
- trauma to the chest or lungs which affects the blood vessels of the lungs or respiratory tract
- vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels in the lungs or respiratory tract)
- bronchiectasis (a condition in which the integrity of the airways is impaired as the result of previous infections or damage to the airways)
Small amounts of blood tinged sputum can also occur when the back of the throat becomes irritated by frequent or violent coughing.
The most common causes of hemoptysis in children are lower respiratory infections and the inhalation of a foreign object into the lungs.
Diagnosing Hemoptysis
As previously mentioned, true hemoptysis is blood that is coming from the respiratory tracts or lungs, it must be differentiated from blood that appears in the mouth or throat but originates in the nasal passageways, esophagus or stomach. With the exception of very small amounts of blood tinged sputum after certain medical procedures or from a bad cough, hemoptysis should almost always be evaluated by a physician. Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history as well as conducting a physical examination. Some of the following laboratory tests or medical procedures may also be helpful in identifying the root cause of hemoptysis:
- sputum testing
- bronchoscopy
- chest x-rays
- CT scan of the lungs
- blood tests (to determine how much blood has been lost or if there are any underlying disorders that may make an individual more susceptible to bleeding)
Treating Hemoptysis
Massive hemoptysis is a medical emergency. You should call 911 or go to the emergency room any time you are coughing up more than a teaspoon or two of blood, or if you are coughing up blood and also have symptoms such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, feeling light-headed, blue-colored lips, or chest pain.
The treatment of hemoptysis depends on the root cause. For example, pneumonia may be treated with a combination of antibiotics, rest, or in severe cases hospitalization. Blood tinged sputum that is the result of violent coughing may be treated at home with cough suppressant medications and monitoring. Bloody sputum that is the result of a medical procedure such as a bronchoscopy with biopsy may also be monitored at home and should resolve on it's own. Other causes of hemoptysis, such as cancer may require more extensive treatments.
Sources:
American Family Physician. Hemoptysis: Diagnosis and Management. Accessed: February 27, 2015 from http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/1001/p1253.html
Medline Plus. Coughing up blood. Accessed: February 27, 2015 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003073.htm
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. What is Bronchiectasis? Accessed: February 28, 2015 from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/brn