Coughs and Colds

Because you are coughing up blood, there is a possibility that you have a serious lung condition such as a cancer. You need to see a doctor so that you can be examined and an x-ray can be obtained. If you are short of breath or if you have coughed up more than several tablespoons of blood, you should proceed to an emergency medical facility.

The most common illness that causes a person to cough up blood is acute bronchitis. This is an infection that is usually caused by a virus, and it is not dangerous in most people. However, a cancer in the lung is also a possible explanation and a chest x-ray should be obtained. Some people who cough up blood require additional tests, such as a computed tomography scan (CT scan) or the procedure, "bronchoscopy." Bronchoscopy involves maneuvering a camera at the end of a narrow flexible instrument into the interior of your airways, so they may be examined.

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Online Medical Reviewer: McDonald, Thad, MD Date Last Reviewed: 5/4/2006 Date Last Modified: 3/30/2006 Source: from Harvard Health Decision Guides, Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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