What is hemoptysis
Definition Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or bloody sputum from the lungs or airway. It may be either self-limiting or recurrent. Massive hemoptysis is defined as 200–600 mL of blood coughed up within a period of 24 hours or less. Description Hemoptysis can range from small quantities of bloody sputum to life-threatening amounts of blood. The patient may or may not have chest pain. Causes and symptoms Hemoptysis can be caused by a range of disorders: • Infections. These include pneumonia; tuberculosis; aspergillosis; and parasitic diseases, including ascariasis, amebiasis, and paragonimiasis. • Tumors that erode blood vessel walls. • Drug abuse. Cocaine can cause massive hemoptysis. • Trauma. Chest injuries can cause bleeding into the lungs. • Vascular disorders, including aneurysms, pulmonary embolism, and malformations of the blood vessels. • Bronchitis. Its most common cause is long-term smoking. • Foreign object(s) in the airway. • Blood clotting disorders. • Bleeding follo
Hemoptysis is a medical symptom characterized by spitting or coughing up blood from the lungs. The blood may be in the form of pure blood or bloodstained sputum, and it can be from the upper or lower airway. By contrast, in hematemesis, a condition characterized by vomiting up blood, blood can also come from the gastrointestinal tract. While hemoptysis can look alarming, the cause is often very treatable, as long as the patient is given adequate medical care. When going to the doctor to address the problem, it is helpful to be able to provide information about when the hemoptysis started, and any other associated symptoms, ranging from chest pain to fatigue. Any number of things can lead to hemoptysis, including an obstruction in the airway, trauma to the lungs, the use of anticoagulant drugs, or a lung disease. Bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, aspergilloma, and pulmonary emboli can all lead to hemoptysis, as can a number of other diseases and conditions which affect the lungs. Det
• Hemoptysis: A condition which is characterized by the coughing up of blood or blood stained sputum. • Hemoptysis: Coughing up blood or blood-stained sputum. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, Facts About Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM): NHLBI) • Hemoptysis: Coughing up blood from the respiratory tract. Source – Diseases Database • Hemoptysis: coughing up blood from the respiratory tract; usually indicates a severe infection of the bronchi or lungs. Source – WordNet 2.
Hemoptysis means coughing up blood. It is a symptom of bleeding somewhere in the respiratory tract, including the nose, mouth, throat, trachea, or the lungs. The seriousness of the hemoptysis depends on the cause of the bleeding. Coughing up blood can be a frightening experience—but it is not necessarily serious. Blood-tinged mucus in a person who is healthy and does not smoke may be due to a mild infection and is generally no cause for concern. In fact, the most common cause of hemoptysis is the least serious – a broken small blood vessel caused by coughing associated with an upper respiratory infection (cold) and/or acute bronchitis. However, if you are a smoker or are otherwise at risk for lung disease, hemoptysis may be a sign of serious illness, including cancer. You should notify their doctor immediately if you are coughing up blood. Your doctor will want to perform a thorough exam and review medications that you may be taking to determine the cause of the bleeding. Coughing up b
