Symptom: Coughing blood

Introduction: Coughing blood

The symptom of coughing up blood needs to be distinguished from the more general symptom of blood in sputum, where blood may come from other causes than coughing (e.g. nasal bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, etc.). Both coughing blood or blood in sputum are potentially very serious symptoms that need prompt professional medical attention; Suddenly coughing blood or coughing large amounts of blood is a medical emergency.

» Review Causes of Coughing blood: full list

Causes of Coughing blood:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Coughing blood. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Respiratory conditions
  • Bronchitis
  • Pneumonia
  • Tracheobronchitis (see Bronchitis)
  • Respiratory infection
  • Chest infection
  • Lung disorders
  • Lung infection
  • Lung fibrosis
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Ruptured lung blood vessel - such as from coughing too hard.
  • Coagulopathy
  • Lung cancer
  • Airway tumor
  • Tuberculosis
  • Fungal lung infection
  • Bronchiectasis fungi
  • Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
  • Parasitic lung infection
  • Pneumonia
  • Necrotic pneumonia
  • Anerobic pneumonia (see Pneumonia)
  • Lung abscess
  • Staphylococcal respiratory infection - may cause rusty or blood colored sputum.
  • Serratia marcescens lung infection
  • Respiratory trauma
  • Lung injury
  • Lung foreign body
  • Pulmonary artery catheter
  • Lung trauma

See full list of 190 causes of Coughing blood

» Review Causes of Coughing blood: full list

Causes of Types of Coughing blood:

Review the causes of these more specific types of Coughing blood:

• Hemoptysis (118 causes)
• Spitting blood (89 causes)

More types of Coughing blood

Coughing blood: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Coughing blood, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

• Coughing blood: Multiple Symptom Checker

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

• Coughing blood and Respiratory symptoms (89 causes)
• Coughing blood and Lung symptoms (85 causes)
• Coughing blood and Bleeding symptoms (84 causes)
• Coughing blood and Cough (81 causes)
• Coughing blood and Hemoptysis (80 causes)
• Coughing blood and Breathing symptoms (78 causes)
• Coughing blood and Bloody sputum (77 causes)
• Coughing blood and Breath symptoms (76 causes)
• Coughing blood and Wet cough (71 causes)
• Coughing blood and Breathing difficulties (69 causes)
• Coughing blood and Mouth symptoms (68 causes)
• Coughing blood and Nerve symptoms (66 causes)
• Coughing blood and Pain (66 causes)
• Coughing blood and Sputum symptoms (65 causes)
• Coughing blood and Sensations (65 causes)
• Coughing blood and Drooling (60 causes)
• Coughing blood and Fatigue (54 causes)
• Coughing blood and Muscle weakness (53 causes)
• Coughing blood and Chest symptoms (47 causes)
• Coughing blood and Chest pain (46 causes)

See full list of 954 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Coughing blood

Home Diagnostic Testing and Coughing blood

Home medical tests possibly related to Coughing blood:

• Fatigue: Related Home Tests:
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• Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
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Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Respiratory symptoms (1879 causes)
• Lung symptoms (625 causes)
• Cough (441 causes)
• Wet cough (102 causes)
• Spitting blood (89 causes)
• Bleeding symptoms (914 causes)
• Drooling (105 causes)
• Hemoptysis (118 causes)
• Bloody sputum (91 causes)
• Common symptoms (4555 causes)
• Sputum symptoms (96 causes)
• Mouth symptoms (1788 causes)
• Throat symptoms (1143 causes)
• Head symptoms (3858 causes)
• Face symptoms (2766 causes)

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Coughing blood

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Coughing blood:

• Blood in sputum (91 causes)
• Cough (441 causes)
• Productive cough (45 causes)
• Bleeding gums (98 causes)

Diagnostic Guides for Coughing blood

Medical Books Excerpts Read excerpts from published book sections related to Coughing blood from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Coughing blood. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Coughing blood

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Misdiagnosis and Coughing blood

Unnecessary hysterectomies due to undiagnosed bleeding disorder in women: The bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's disease is quite common in women, but often fails to be...read more »

Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold....read more »

Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears off after about 15 years...read more »

Chronic lung diseases hard to diagnose: Some of the chronic lung diseases are difficult to diagnose. Even the well-knowns conditions such as asthma or lung cancer often fail to be diagnosed early. Some of the chronic lung diseases with diagnostic difficulties...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Coughing blood

Diagnostic tests for Coughing blood:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Coughing blood. Some of these are listed below :

• Physical examination
  • Examine for evidence of bleeding disorder - e.g. extensive skin bruising or petechia, tender swollen joints, jaundice.
  • Inspect sputum for color and consistency if possible, noting any blood if present in sample
  • Examine lymph nodes looking for enlarged cervical or Axillary lymph nodes which may indicate lung cancer
  • Examine for Horner's syndrome - e.g. dilated pupil and drooping of the upper eyelid which may indicate lung cancer.

See full list of 25 diagnostic tests for Coughing blood

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Coughing blood. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

• How long have you been coughing up blood? - to determine if acute or chronic.
• What quantity of blood do you cough up? - e.g. may range from small flecks of blood to massive bleeding. Massive bleeding is usually due to bronchiectasis or tuberculosis.
• Are you sure that the blood is coughed up? - e.g. may be confused with blood-stained saliva caused by bleeding from the nose, pharynx or sinuses or may also be confused with vomiting of blood.
• How would you describe the cough itself? - e.g. painful cough may suggest left ventricular heart failure, weak cough may suggest lung cancer.
• What time of the day is the cough worse? - e.g. cough at night left ventricular failure; cough on waking may suggest bronchiectasis.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Coughing blood (20 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Coughing blood) may include:

• Sputum production? - If there is sputum production, describe it? - e.g. copious amounts with offensive smell suggests bronchiectasis or lung abscess; pus-like sputum may suggest pneumonia, abscess, tuberculosis or bronchiectasis; profuse and watery may suggest lung cancer; red-currant jelly may suggest lung cancer; pink and frothy may suggest left ventricular failure with pulmonary edema.
• Fever and sputum? - suggests pneumonia, lung abscess, tuberculosis and bronchiectasis. However bronchiectasis does not commonly cause fever.
• Chest pain? - should suspect pulmonary embolism.
• Wheeze? - may suggest foreign body, lung cancer, congestive left ventricular heart failure.
• Shortness of breath? - In acute cases may suggest congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism and pneumonia. In chronic cases may suggest chronic congestive heart failure, mitral stenosis, tuberculosis and lung cancer.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Coughing blood (20 listings)

Stories from Users for Coughing blood

Real-life user stories relating to Coughing blood:

• My girlfriend's coughing blood
• Hemoptysis (spitting & coughing blood)
• coughing blood
• blood in cough
• blood in sputum
• Coughing Blood
• coughing blood
• Blood when Coughing

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Coughing blood or relevant symptoms:

• Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Circulation) (171)
  • Chest pain and shortness of breath
  • Hand numbness
  • Purple-blue skin color
  • Need help with diagnoses
  • Anxiety and high BP
  • More user stories
• Respiratory (Lungs and Breathing) (136)
  • Chlorine/ammonia odor when I breathe
  • Chest Pain/Pain While Breathing
  • Clearing throat cough and breathing difficulties
  • Chest discomfort
  • Unable to get diagnosis....please help!
  • More user stories
• Hematologic/Lymphatic (Blood and Lymph) (106)
  • High platelet count
  • Extreme neck pain, swollen lymph node -help
  • Swollen lymph nodes in groin
  • Nipple Discharge
  • Swollen Lymph Node for 2 1/2 months
  • More user stories

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Causes of Coughing blood listed in Disease Database:

Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible causes of Coughing blood as a symptom include:

• Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
• Alveolar hydatid disease
• Amyloidosis
• Aspergilloma
• Bronchial adenoma
• Bronchiectasis
• Bronchogenic carcinoma
• Bronchogenic cyst
• Carbamoylphosphate synthetase deficiency
• Cardiac failure, left sided
• Dengue
• Dicoumarol
• Echinococcus granulosus
• Foreign body in respiratory tract
• Goodpasture's syndrome
• Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
• Histiocytosis X
• Hughes-Stovin syndrome
• Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis
• Klebsiella sp

See full list of 190 causes of Coughing blood
- (Source - Diseases Database)

Medications or substances causing Coughing blood:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Coughing blood as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Certain anticoagulation medications
• Coumadin
• Heparin
• Penicillamine
• Certain resins

See full list of 14 medications causing Coughing blood

Definitions of Coughing blood:

Coughing up blood from the respiratory tract.
- (Source - Diseases Database)

Organs affected by Coughing blood:

The list of organs typically affected by Coughing blood may include, but is not limited to:

• Lung
• Sinuses
• Stomach
• Throat

Detailed list of causes of Coughing blood

The list below shows some of the causes of Coughing blood mentioned in various sources:

• Absence of pulmonary artery - coughing blood
• Actinomycetales infection - coughing up blood
• Adenocarcinoma of lung - coughing up blood
• Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar - coughing up blood
• Airway tumor

See full list of 190 causes of Coughing blood

How Common are these Causes of Coughing blood?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Coughing blood. Of the 190 causes of Coughing blood that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 4 causes are "very common" diseases
• 4 causes are "common" diseases
• 2 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 3 causes are "rare" diseases
• 17 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 165 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 190 causes of Coughing blood

Conditions listing symptoms: Coughing blood:

The following list of conditions have 'Coughing blood' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

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Causes of Coughing blood Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Coughing blood based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: