Coughing up blood can be a major cause of alarm and there are a number of factors linked to it.
It can outrightly indicate you have a serious health condition.
Here are some of the many reasons why you have been coughing up blood as highlighted by Paul Boyce, MD, a pulmonologist and intensivist.
1. Bronchitis
It is an inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs, that causes the cilia of the bronchial epithelial cells to stop functioning. The disease has been listed among the common causes of coughing up blood.
2. Bronchiectasis
It occurs when the walls of the bronchi are thickened, caused by inflammation and infection in the bronchi.
Common signs and symptoms associated with this life-threatening infection include wheezing while breathing, shortness of breath that worsens during exacerbations, fevers and feeling tired in most of the time. Coughing up blood has also been linked to this condition and it can be a sign that you have developed bronchiectasis.
3. Lung cancer
Coughing up blood can be enough to explain to you that you are suffering from lung cancer. When you have noted the sign, get medical attention before the condition snowballs out of control.
4. Pneumonia
It is an acute or chronic inflammation of the lungs caused by viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms, or sometimes by physical or chemical irritants. Coughing up blood is among the signs associated with pneumonia.