One of the main signs of diseases of the respiratory system is coughing. However, often people complain of such a thing as a cough with blood. This symptom may be just the result of the fact that small blood vessels burst during a coughing fit, or it may indicate more serious processes in the human body. Anyway, if such a phenomenon is observed, there is every reason for concern. Next, we find out what are the main causes of coughing up blood and how it is treated in children and adults.
What does this symptom mean?
Such a phenomenon very often causes great fear in people. But the presence of blood in sputum basically suggests that, most likely, a vessel simply burst in the lungs. According to statistics, in ninety percent of cases, coughing with blood does not cause any serious illness. Very often, this indicates a banal lack of vitamin K, which is responsible for blood coagulation. But in the event that this symptom is repeated in a person for a sufficiently long time, it is nevertheless necessary to consult a doctor for a comprehensive examination.
When should I see a doctor?
When a cough with blood occurs, few people know what this may mean. Doctors strongly recommend that people who find such discharge from the oral cavity immediately call an ambulance. But such radical actions are required only in the following cases:
- In the event that a sharp cough begins with blood, which is present in a very liquid state or, conversely, in the form of clots.
- At the same time as a coughing fit, there was a severe lack of air along with pain in the sternum.
- When the occurrence of a cough with blood is directly related to any injury or fall.
- In the event that sputum with impurities of blood appeared suddenly, despite the fact that this or that injury was not preceded by this process, along with a strong and prolonged cough.
- When such a phenomenon has been observed for several days without a noticeable improvement in the patient's well-being.
- A cough with blood very often occurs in those people who constantly use nicotine. In this case, you must also consult a doctor.
An accurate diagnosis can only be made to a person who has made a similar complaint to a doctor after a full examination. Typically, in such cases, you need to go through several different specialists.
Consider the main causes of coughing up blood.
Main reasons
When coughing, as you know, sputum is often observed, which is mucus secreted from the bronchi. Microbes are usually present in it along with dust and other small particles. But in the absence of a disease in the respiratory tract, blood should not be present in sputum. In the event that such a process is nevertheless discovered, it is important to find out all the reasons in order to provide the person with the required medical care. So, a cough with blood is present in the presence of the following serious diseases and pathological conditions of the body:
- The presence of lung cancer in humans. When a coughing up of blood occurs against the background of a cough, we can talk about this symptom as a symptom of lung cancer. In this case, in secreted secretion, blood is usually present in the form of red scarlet streaks. But do not immediately think about such a terrible disease if the patient does not complain about symptoms in the form of rapid weight loss, sweating at night, a feeling of lack of air and severe pain behind the sternum. Such a disease often develops in smokers, who are nicotine addicts for most of their lives. What are the other causes of coughing up blood in an adult?
- The development of bronchitis. With bronchitis, in addition to blood during coughing, a person’s condition worsens in addition to an increase in temperature. We should talk about the presence of chronic bronchitis if a cough torments a person for more than three months a year, and against the background of sputum discharge, blood streaks are noticed in it that are mixed with pus.
- The appearance of bronchiectasis. The main symptom of this disease is a prolonged and at the same time debilitating cough with sputum, in which there are streaks of blood. In addition, the patient may complain of shortness of breath, weakness, and temperature.
- If blood appeared during coughing, this may indicate a lung abscess. A similar disease usually appears in people after pneumonia. This is due to the fact that during the treatment of this disease, a person's immunity is significantly weakened. At the same time, patients may feel a taste of blood in their mouth after coughing. In addition, very often even those around them are able to smell a fetid odor that comes from the patient’s mouth, which is associated with the formation of pus in the area of ​​the lung. In addition, this disease can be accompanied by a prolonged increase in temperature, weakness, excessive sweating, and poor appetite.
- Coughing up blood with a cold is dangerous. Traces of blood are often present when coughing in sputum in people in whose body such an inflammatory disease as pneumonia occurs.
- The development of tuberculosis. The main symptom of this disease is the occurrence of a cough with blood, which most often occurs in the morning. In addition to blood veins, purulent impurities can be found in sputum.
- Diseases of blood vessels and heart. Sometimes, with some heart diseases, blood circulation is disturbed, because of this it stagnates in the lungs. Coughing up blood may occur. A similar phenomenon in medicine is called pulmonary hypertension. Another manifestation of this process is considered severe shortness of breath, especially intensifying due to heavy physical exertion.
- The development of pulmonary embolism. As a rule, embolism develops in those who have recently had to undergo some kind of surgery. Embolism also develops in the presence of diseases of the veins of the lower extremities, for example, with thrombophlebitis. In addition to suffocating coughing attacks with blood secretions, patients feel constant severe pain behind the sternum along with shortness of breath. What are the causes of coughing up blood without fever?
- The appearance of cystic fibrosis. This disease can be inherited, it manifests itself as frequent colds and coughs with blood and pus. Very often at the same time, patients do not pay any attention to sputum with a blood admixture, believing that such a process is a common manifestation of cough with a cold as a result of damage to blood vessels.
- Another cause of sputum with blood when coughing is the presence of digestive diseases. In case of disturbances in the functioning of the digestive organs, such as the esophagus, stomach or intestines, blood from the mouth is released without coughing. In such cases, it usually has a dark red color. Bleeding at the same time occurs profuse.
Do not worry if, after using some diagnostic methods, sputum production with streaks of blood is detected. The fact is that such a phenomenon can be caused by external interference. This usually occurs after a biopsy or bronchoscopy, in addition, due to the use of certain drugs. In this case, there are no threats to human health.
What are the causes of sputum with blood when coughing in a child?
Hemoptysis in children
Blood during coughing in children is a fairly common problem, which usually appears on the background of clogging of the narrow respiratory canals with outgoing sputum. Due to this process, blood vessels can burst, and as a result, blood is released. In addition to the occurrence of coughing up blood in a child can lead to:
- The presence of asthma in a child.
- The development of an acute form of bronchiolitis.
- The presence of whooping cough.
- The occurrence of cystic fibrosis.
In order to relieve cough with the blood of children, they are prescribed expectorant drugs. But only a doctor should prescribe such, as self-medication can lead to various serious problems.
In pregnant
Pregnancy is a condition in which a woman's body is under serious pressure. The appearance of an impurity of blood during coughing should make a pregnant woman immediately visit a doctor in order to subsequently avoid serious complications in the form of iron deficiency anemia, a breakdown of the placenta, or increased tone.
Often, the cause of this condition is nosebleeds along with an annoying cough. Such a cough may occur due to a viral infection or as a result of bronchitis. Due to the constant cough, blood vessels in the lungs burst, which leads to the appearance of blood in the sputum. In the event that hemoptysis torments the pregnant woman for at least one week, she needs to seek the advice of her local therapist. The doctor will refer the patient to narrow specialists who can study the problem in detail.
Continued disregard for such a problem can lead to the development of serious bleeding disorders. Very rarely, this phenomenon indicates the presence of serious diseases that threaten the life of a pregnant woman and a child. Experts strongly do not recommend self-medication; it is always best to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Diagnostics
In order to accurately determine the cause of the appearance of a cough with blood, it is necessary to undergo an extended diagnosis, which will include the following measures:
- Perform laboratory analysis of sputum. This research method allows you to identify inflammatory processes that occur in the body.
- Conducting a laboratory analysis of sweat. Thanks to this method of research, violations in the exchange of chlorine are determined, and cystic fibrosis can also be diagnosed.
- Conducting a general and biochemical blood test. In the course of this study, the number of red blood cells is revealed, according to which the nature of the inflammatory processes is judged.
- Conducting a coagulogram. This study shows the rate of blood coagulation.
- Performing an x-ray of the chest allows for early detection of cancer along with pneumonia, embolism or an abscess.
- Carrying out bronchoscopy makes it possible to examine the lumen of the lungs.
- As part of the implementation of echocardiography and electrocardiography, the work of the heart is studied, the activity of which affects the lungs.
- Conducting FEGDS. This is a study of the esophagus, diseases of this organ can manifest themselves in the form of a cough with blood.
- Conducting computed tomography.
What will be the treatment if there is blood in case of expectoration when coughing?
What should be the treatment?
The treatment of hemoptysis in both children and adults directly depends on the underlying cause of this problem. In order to get rid of it, doctors often prescribe a course of antibiotics or anti-TB drugs. In rare cases, against the background of advanced cancer, abscess or embolism, this phenomenon in addition requires surgical intervention.
In the event that the causes of coughing up blood are non-pathological, alternative treatment methods can be used. Typically, various hemostatic herbs are used for this in the form of yarrow, chicory, nettle leaves, plantain, snake mountaineer, and the like. Herbs must be boiled, then the resulting product is drunk 100 milliliters three times a day.
The listed diseases that cause this phenomenon in children or adults are different in nature and require a different approach to the treatment of coughing up blood.
First aid
In cases in which an excessive amount of blood is expectorated during a cough, or when it flows from the mouth even at rest, it is of course necessary to call an ambulance. Immediately before the arrival of the doctors, you must do the following:
- Fully provide the patient with physical rest.
- Remove things that make breathing difficult.
- In order to avoid blood getting into the lung, it is necessary to give the patient a sitting position, against which a forward inclination will be observed. The head should not be thrown back.
- When there is no opportunity to seat the patient, it is necessary to at least try to turn the person on the side on which the lung is damaged.
- Ice with a cold compress is applied to the damaged area, which is removed every fifteen minutes so as not to overcool the patient.
- Observing the patient, it is necessary to exclude his conversations and all kinds of movements. Taking food or liquids amid such a condition is unacceptable.
- It is important to exclude any thermal effect, whether it is a bath, shower, mustard, and so on.
- A person should not restrain expectorant urges.
No panic!
When coughing with streaks of blood, it is very important not to panic others and try to calm the patient. In the event that the bleeding intensifies, and the person’s well-being worsens, before the ambulance arrives, you should call the dispatcher, who will remotely detail the additional measures.
As for children, when they develop blood during coughing, they should also not be given any food or drink. The child should take a comfortable position for him. Immediately before the arrival of the ambulance, the baby should not be ignored.
What medications are used for coughing up blood in an adult and a child?
Medical treatment in children and adults
Drug treatment in the event of a problem such as a cough with blood is prescribed by a doctor and depends on the cause. Therefore, it is important to eliminate the root cause. For example, with bronchitis or with pneumonia, patients are prescribed drugs that thin the sputum. These medicines are the syrups "Bromhexine", "Ambroxol."
When coughing up blood, children and adults can be prescribed antibiotics along with anti-inflammatory drugs. In case of tuberculosis, therapy is carried out using a whole list of drugs and techniques, including surgical treatment. Drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis are divided into three groups, depending on the degree of their action. Each group is prescribed for a particular stage of the disease. Among the drugs that help treat this disease, it is worth mentioning Isoniazid, Ethambutol, Ethionamide and Thioacetazone.
In addition to medications and methods that are prescribed for children and adults after the examination, specialists can also advise inhalations that warm and relieve irritation of the respiratory organs. It will be useful to take medicinal herbal teas with various infusions.
Traditional medicine offers many different remedies for all ailments, and from this as well. Some recipes actually help ease the healing process by speeding them up. But in any case, prior medical use requires prior medical consultation.
It is important to remember that health depends on how timely the correct diagnosis is made. The only non-dangerous cause of blood when coughing is a burst vessel. But the list of dangerous diseases with a fatal outcome with this symptom is much wider. In this regard, you can not risk neglecting a visit to the clinic.