Hemoptysis is a condition in which the person coughs up blood in small to moderate amounts. It is symptom of an underlying condition. Although coughing small amounts of blood is not life-threatening in itself, the underlying condition can be serious and needs immediate attention. Coughing blood is often mistaken for vomiting blood, but they are not one and the same as the underlying causes are different for both of them. In this article, we will learn more.
There are various conditions in which blood is expelled from the human body. When one is injured, blood can ooze out of cuts and bruises on the skin. Certain dental conditions can cause bleeding in the mouth and gums. While head and brain conditions can cause nose-bleeds, some rare conditions can cause bleeding from the ears. If one has certain kidney conditions, blood can be found in the urine. Certain cancers of the lower GI tract can cause blood in the stools, while various conditions of the upper GI tract can cause vomiting of blood. And menstruating women expel blood from their vaginas.
So also, blood can be expelled from the lungs, through coughing. The condition is called Hemoptysis. The quantum of blood expelled can be as less as a spoonful or as much as a cupful. The coughed-up sputum may be bright-red and frothy to look at, and slimy to feel, as the blood has got mixed with air and mucous in the lungs. So, what do pulmonologists consider to be the possible underlying causes of hemoptysis?
According to pulmonologists, persons suffering from Hemoptysis may show other symptoms as well, such as:
For scant and non-massive hemoptysis, one or more of the following options will be pursued. For massive hemoptysis, the treatment options will vary, on a case-to-case basis.
It’s crucial for patients dealing with hemoptysis to access specialized medical care. Kauvery Hospital, with its branches in Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli, and Trichy, provides comprehensive and expert care for such conditions.
Hemoptysis is the condition of coughing up blood from the lungs or airways.
Causes include bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, blood clot in the lung, and other lung conditions.
Types include scant/mild (less than 20 mL), non-life-threatening/moderate (20-200 mL), and life-threatening/massive (200-600 mL).
Symptoms may include coughing blood, fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing, night sweats, fatigue, and weight loss.
Diagnosis may involve chest X-rays, CT scans, bronchoscopy, blood tests, sputum cultures, and other diagnostic procedures.
Treatment options include bronchoscopy, bronchial artery angiography, medications, antibiotics, steroids, and surgery, depending on the severity and cause.
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai (Alwarpet & Vadapalani), Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
Chennai Alwarpet – 044 4000 6000 • Chennai Vadapalani – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801
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