This is an automatically translated article.
The article was professionally consulted with Doctor Tran Quoc Tuan - Emergency Medicine Doctor - Emergency Resuscitation Department - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.Coughing up blood is a common symptom in respiratory diseases. The disease tends to recur if not treated thoroughly. Severe hemoptysis is considered a medical emergency, the patient can die if not treated promptly.
1. Manifestations of coughing up blood
Before coughing up blood, patients often have warning signs including discomfort, nervousness, heat spreading behind the breastbone, feeling of chest pressure, shortness of breath. Right before coughing up blood, the patient had a bad voice, an itchy throat, and a fishy taste in the mouth.
The patient coughs up blood at first, the blood is bright red, with foam mixed with sputum (indicating blood coming out of the bronchi), then over time the blood cough gradually turns dark. The average amount of blood out is from a few dozen to a few hundred milliliters. Coughing up more than 200ml of blood is considered hemoptysis. The coughed up blood can clot in the respiratory tract, blocking the bronchi, causing the patient to struggle and choke.
The duration of coughing up blood can range from a few hours to several days. The bleeding will be profuse for the first few days, then gradually decrease over time as can be seen by the color of the blood. Brown, gray, pea-sized blood is a sign that the cough is about to end.
Clinical examination shows that the patient has symptoms related to lung and bronchial diseases (fever, shortness of breath, chest pain,...).
2. Causes of coughing up blood
Coughing up blood can be a symptom of many dangerous diseases. The common pathology of coughing up blood is:
Pulmonary tuberculosis : Coughing up blood is a sign of undiagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis. Is the result of a disease that has been incubated for a long time. Bronchiectasis: Patient coughs, coughs up sputum frequently and lasts for a long time. Broncho-pulmonary cancer In addition, some other diseases also show signs of coughing up fresh blood:
Bronchial diseases: Acute and chronic bronchitis ; bronchial asthma Lung disease: Pneumonia, lung fungus, lung abscess, pulmonary embolism Cardiovascular disease: Hypertension, heart failure Systemic disease: Sepsis, vitamin C deficiency Surgical cause: Trauma injuries, contusions to the chest, broken ribs
Ho ra máu có thể do nhiều bệnh nguy hiểm xuất phát từ phổi
3. How dangerous is coughing up blood?
Coughing up fresh blood has a massive nature, sudden blood outflow in large quantities cannot be stopped, affecting the entire hemodynamics, very easily causing circulatory collapse. Patients present with blue skin, pale mucous membranes, rapid pulse, hypotension, acute respiratory failure.
Depending on the degree of hemoptysis and disease status, the patient has a rapid breathing rate, cyanosis of the lips and extremities. If not hospitalized and treated promptly can lead to coma and death. Patients with coughing up blood can cause shock due to hypotension, hemorrhagic shock.
Coughing up blood also warns of many dangerous diseases such as tuberculosis, lung cancer, bronchial cancer,...
4. Treatment when coughing up blood
Bệnh nhân ho ra máu từ 50ml trở lên cần được đưa đến bệnh viện để điều trị
Depending on the severity of the condition, the cause of the blood cough, the patient can choose to treat it at home or go to the hospital.
Mild hemoptysis: The amount of blood coughed up is < 50ml/day. Coughing up blood only in streaks, mixed in sputum or coughing up only a few small sips of blood.
In this case, what should be done is to let the patient rest quietly, use sedatives to stop bleeding, reduce cough, eat liquid (milk, soup) or semi-liquid (porridge, noodles, vermicelli, pho). ..). Do not let the patient eat foods that are difficult to digest, do not drink beverages containing alcohol or stimulants.
If the patient stops bleeding and is stable again, it is still necessary to go to a doctor to determine the cause of coughing up blood for thorough treatment. If you cough up more blood or persistent bleeding, you must go to the hospital for treatment.
Moderate hemoptysis: The amount of blood coughed up from 50-200 ml/day. The patient needs to be taken to the hospital for thorough treatment.
Severe hemoptysis: The amount of blood coughed up > 200ml/day. Patients need long-term treatment and monitoring in the hospital. If you lose a lot of blood, you will need a blood transfusion.
Coughing up blood is a worrisome medical condition of the body, which has a significant impact on health. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to prevent this situation in an active and reasonable manner by avoiding smoking, treating blood pressure, thoroughly treating respiratory diseases,...
If there are signs of this Coughing up blood, the patient should go to the hospital to have a doctor diagnose and evaluate the condition of the disease, thereby deciding on a specific treatment method. Vinmec International General Hospital System is a prestigious hospital for many years in the examination, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases. Patients can rest assured when receiving treatment here.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
