Coughing up Blood

[robert2237]

I have had a cough for weeks and today I started to cough up bright red blood with some phlum in it. What can cause this???

Thanks

[National Jewish]

Irritation from a cold or infection can cause a little blood to be coughed up in your phlegm.  However it sounds like you have more blood than phlegm.  Sometimes coughed up blood can come from the nose, rather than the lungs.  When this happens there is usually a nosebleed also.

You need to have a thorough physical exam by your doctor.  A chest x-ray may also be needed.  Only then will the cause of the bright red blood and the best treatment be known.

[Ellis7]

It could be any of a number of things including a lung infection.
Its time to call your doctor or advice nurse; you will probably need to have a chest x-ray and blood tests ASAP. Link:

http://www.pulmonologychannel.com/hemoptysis/ Hemoptyis
Excerpt:

"Blood-tinged mucus in a healthy nonsmoker usually indicates a mild infection and is generally no cause for concern. Indeed, the most common cause of hemoptysis is the least serious – a ruptured small blood vessel caused by coughing and/or a bronchitic infection. In patients with a history of smoking or who are otherwise at risk for lung disease, however, hemoptysis is often a sign of serious illness, including cancer. Other serious diseases that can cause hemoptysis include bronchiectasis (chronic dilation and infection of the bronchioles and bronchi), pulmonary embolus (a clogged artery in the lungs that can lead to tissue death), pneumonia (a lung infection), and tuberculosis (see Tuberculosis). Hemoptysis can also result from inhaling a foreign body, such as a particle of food that ruptures a blood vessel. Whatever the suspected cause, development of hemoptysis should always be brought to the attention of a physician. "