In the event that when a person coughs up sputum with blood, this may indicate damage to the bronchi or lung tissue. Normally, there should be no blood. When hemoptysis bothers you for a long time, you need to see a doctor. The cause may be tuberculosis infection or the presence of neoplasms. These symptoms are predominantly seen in adults. So, let's find out what are the main causes of sputum with blood, and what should be the treatment tactics.
The causes of this symptomatology
The appearance of blood when coughing is a far from uncommon symptom among patients suffering from diseases of the respiratory organs. There are several following varieties of hemoptysis:
- True form of hemoptysis.
- Small pulmonary form.
- Middle pulmonary hemoptysis.
- Profuse hemoptysis.
In the sputumtraces of bloody streaks may be present. Pulmonary bleeding may also occur. The causes of sputum with streaks of blood are very diverse. Doctors observe hemoptysis in the presence of the following lung diseases:
- Presence of central lung cancer.
- Development of tuberculosis.
- Appearance of pneumonia in patients.
- The appearance of a lung infarction.
- Sputum with blood in bronchitis is common.
- Development of an abscess.
- Presence of parasitic disease.
- Appearance of open and closed lung injury.
- Development of silicosis.
- Development of hemosiderosis.
Sometimes sputum with blood occurs in certain diseases of the bronchi. This category includes bronchiectasis with acute bronchitis. Other likely causes of coughing up blood are cystic fibrosis along with mitral valve stenosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, leukemia, hemophilia, sarcoidosis, and endometriosis. Blood usually enters the sputum from the throat, sometimes from the mouth. The cause in this situation may be bleeding gums or trauma to the tongue.
After medical manipulations
What could this mean? Sometimes coughing up blood is possible after performing medical procedures, for example, after bronchoscopy, biopsy, surgical interventions, and so on. Not always the detection of blood streaks in the sputum indicates any disease. The cause may be the rupture of small vessels. Suchpossibly with a strong cough. Bloody sputum may result from the use of certain drugs, such as anticoagulants.
The appearance of this symptom in tuberculosis
Sputum with blood is often a symptom of the active phase of tuberculosis. This pathology is one of the most intractable infectious diseases of the lungs. Unfortunately, the number of patients with tuberculosis is increasing every year. More than four million people die each year from this serious disease. The causative agents of the pathology are mycobacteria, which are intracellular microorganisms that are highly resistant to environmental factors, and, in addition, to many antibacterial drugs.
About two billion people worldwide are infected with these mycobacteria. With the effectiveness of immunity, the disease, as a rule, does not occur. A predisposing factor in the development of tuberculosis is smoking, along with hypothermia, stress, alcoholism, the presence of diabetes mellitus, and, in addition, chronic heart pathologies along with hypovitaminosis and the presence of HIV infection may be the causes. Tuberculosis is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Expectoration of bloody sputum.
- Slight increase in body temperature.
- The appearance of a runny nose.
- Appearance of wheezing in the lungs.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- The appearance of night sweats.
- Development of weakness and apathy.
When tuberculosis happenssputum streaked with blood. It can also be purulent. Often this happens in the morning. Hemoptysis with this diagnosis occurs already in the later stages of the pathology. Frequent excretion of blood impurities can cause anemia. Tuberculosis, among other things, is also a contagious disease. It is able to be transmitted even by ordinary airborne droplets.
What else can cause bloody sputum in the morning?
Worm infestation as a cause of hemoptysis
In the event that a person has helminths in the body, it is likely that such sputum will be released. There are many different helminths. They are able to live in almost all organs, be it the liver, gallbladder, brain or lungs. Thus, bloody sputum is often coughed up in people with the following parasite-related diseases:
- Development of paragonimiasis.
- Presence of strongyloidiasis.
- The appearance of echinococcosis.
- Presence of hookworm.
- Presence of trichinosis.
- The appearance of ascariasis.
Ways of Ascaris Infection
Ascarids can live in the intestinal lumen, and when adverse factors appear, they migrate through the lungs, causing injuries to this organ. Infection of humans with parasites occurs orally, when poorly washed foods are consumed or contaminated water is used. You can also get infected by contact through the skin. Cough in the presence of helminthiases is often dry. Additional symptoms of parasiticinfections can be weight loss along with nausea, abdominal pain, wheezing in the lungs, headaches and vomiting. It often happens that a cough worries patients in the morning.
There is sputum with blood in pneumonia.
Inflammation of the lungs
Blood during coughing can be released in case of pneumonia. This mainly happens when the causative agent of the disease is staphylococcus aureus, legionella or pseudomonas. Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung tissue. In most cases, this disease is infectious in nature. Its prevalence among the population is equal to fifteen cases per hundred thousand people. Children often suffer from this pathology. Pneumonia is very dangerous for its complications. Often it leads to the death of the patient. The appearance of blood in the sputum is typical of lobar pneumonia.
Main symptoms of pneumonia
The main symptom of this form of inflammation is a cough along with high fever, weakness, shortness of breath and chest pain. Initially, the cough is dry, then it becomes more productive. In this case, sputum is excreted with blood. With pneumonia, she has a brick color. Symptoms of such a disease usually bother a person for about two weeks. Against the background of pneumonia, a segment of the lung or its lobe is involved in the painful process. Quite often, total inflammation can develop. Pneumonia leads to complications in the form of an abscess, gangrene of the lung, development of respiratory failure, endocarditis or myocarditis.
Sputum analysis isvery important for making a diagnosis. In the event that an infectious process takes place, then certain bacteria will be found in the sputum. In cases of suspected tuberculosis, a mantoux test is performed.
The appearance of bloody sputum in cancer
Hemoptysis is one of the signs of lung cancer. This is the most formidable pathology. Like any other malignant tumors, lung cancer goes through several stages. The effectiveness of therapy largely depends on the timely diagnosis of pathology. Predisposing factors leading to the development of lung cancer are the following:
- Smoking abuse. It does not matter if it is passive or active.
- Presence of burdened heredity.
- Presence of chronic pathologies of lung tissues and bronchi.
- Appearance of endocrine disorders.
- Presence of harmful working conditions, for example, contact with asbestos, as well as inhalation of dust.
- Interaction with harmful chemicals, such as s alts of heavy metals or arsenic.
- Working in a coal mining or rubber plant.
I must say that lung cancer is much more common among men. Air pollution is also important. This pathology is characterized by the presence of the following symptoms:
- Appearance of cough.
- Weight loss.
- Increased sweating.
- Appearance of weakness or shortness of breath.
Sputum with blood withouttemperatures on the background of cancer are observed very often. In this case, the blood is mixed with sputum. Sometimes foamy blood may come out. In the event that the blood is fresh, it will have a red color, and clotted is released in the form of dark clots. At the same time, mucus can be detected in the sputum. Cough in such patients is extremely painful, and, moreover, hoarse. As the disease progresses, the symptoms increase. Often, hemoptysis can be combined with shortness of breath. Against the background of the development of peripheral cancer, the symptoms will be absent.
Next, consider what diagnostic measures are taken to determine the diagnosis in case of sputum with blood.
Carrying out diagnostic measures
Treatment is carried out only after determining the underlying cause of hemoptysis. Diagnostics in this case includes the following procedures:
- Conducting a detailed patient interview.
- Research of the general analysis of blood and urine.
- Careful examination of the mouth and throat.
- Gastroscopy.
- Performing a lung x-ray.
- Performing computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
- Performing bronchoscopy.
- Microscopic examination of sputum for the presence of bacteria.
- Performing an electrocardiogram.
- Listening to the lungs.
- Perform temperature, pulse and pressure measurements.
Such studies make it possible to identifypatient infection. Sometimes they even examine the patient's sweat. This is done when the presence of cystic fibrosis is suspected. In the event that, in parallel with hemoptysis, from time to time bloody discharge is also observed from the nose, then a diagnosis should be made on the pathology of the blood.
What is the treatment for bloody sputum?
Treatment tactics for these pathologies
Treatment in the presence of bloody sputum directly depends on the underlying disease. In the event that blood streaks in the sputum are found in acute bronchitis, then the treatment involves, first of all, maintaining rest along with drinking plenty of water and using mucolytics. Patients are also prescribed expectorants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Sputum thinners
In order to thin sputum, drugs such as, for example, Lazolvan, along with Bromhexine and Ambrobene, are used. In the event that there is chest pain, apply warm compresses. Physiotherapy is widely used. In cases of bronchial obstruction, patients are prescribed bronchodilator drugs. Against the background of bronchitis with a viral infection, antiviral drugs are prescribed in the form of Remantadine and Interferon.
