Coughing up blood

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Coughing up blood is the spitting up of blood or bloody mucus from the lungs and throat (respiratory tract).

Hemoptysis; Spitting up blood; Bloody sputum

Hemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood from the respiratory tract.

Coughing up blood is not the same as bleeding from the mouth, throat, or gastrointestinal tract.

Blood that comes up with a cough often looks bubbly because it is mixed with air and mucus. It is usually bright red.

A number of conditions, diseases, and medical tests may make you cough up blood.

Diseases and conditions may include:

• Bleeding gums such as with gingivitis
• Blood clot in the lung
• Bronchiectasis
• Bronchitis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Esophageal cancer
• Goodpasture's syndrome
• Irritation of the throat from violent coughing
• Nosebleed
• Laryngitis
• Lung cancer (see metastatic lung cancer)
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary aspiration (inhaling blood into the lungs)
• Pulmonary edema
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Tuberculosis
• Wegener's granulomatosis

Diagnostic tests that may make you cough up blood may include:

• Bronchoscopy  
• Laryngoscopy  
• Lung biopsy
• Mediastinoscopy
• Spirometry
• Tonsillectomy
• Upper airway biopsy  

Review Date: 02/14/2006
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, CriticalCare & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Reviewprovided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.