blood or brown phlegm

[simit]

Hi! My skin test for TB was negative just four months ago. For the last ten days I have had phlegm that was red at the beginning and is now brown. I have light coughs which are not so bad. My throat has been sort of dry and a little sore. It occurred to me that a couple of months ago that I had blood in my phlegm after I got water into my nose in the swimming pool. Can it be connected to the swimming pool (chlorine) water? When should I tell about it to my doctor?

[Enoch Choi, MD]

the color of your phlegm can be from many things other than blood, but can be from blood from your nose.  See your doctor.

[OtoHNS_MD]

The basic answer is go see your MD.
There's a lot of information that could also be helpful.  Age?  Smoker?  Drinker?  Difficulty breathing?  Fever?  Chills?