The sight of blood when you cough can be quite alarming, whether it is a tiny speck or is in large quantities. Coughing up blood (or hemoptysis) could indicate a serious medical condition or illness. The blood could be from your throat, upper airways, and lungs or even from your nose.

Coughing up blood is an indication of an illness. The criticality of the condition is based on the quantity of blood being coughed up and the duration of the occurrence. Blood that comes up with coughing is mixed with air and mucus, and hence, appears bubble or frothy. The color of blood is usually bright red, but sometimes it may appear as rust colored.

Causes of coughing up blood
The causes of blood coming up while coughing vary from a throat infection to lung cancer.

The common causes of coughing up blood are as follows:

• Mild respiratory infections
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Asthma
• Throat infection

However, coughing up large quantities of blood or frequent episodes of blood in your cough may be symptoms of serious illnesses, such as:

• Trauma or injury to the chest
• Inhalation of foreign bodies
• Lung cancer
• Tuberculosis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Injury to lung arteries

Some respiratory medical procedures or tests like spirometry, laryngoscopy, nasal surgery, or upper airway biopsy may result in blood while coughing. Such episodes last for a very short duration and may not be a cause of concern.

What does coughing up blood mean?
As discussed above, the seriousness of the condition leading to coughing up blood depends on the underlying cause. You should seek emergency medical help in the following situations.

• You cough blood immediately after an accident that injures the chest area
• You cough up large quantities of blood (more than a few teaspoons)
• Blood is found in urine or stools as well
• You feel dizziness, light-headedness or shortness of breath after coughing up blood

Coughing up blood requires immediate medical attention and should never be ignored. A detailed consultation with the doctor, evaluation of the symptoms, and appropriate diagnostic tests should be conducted to find out the cause of blood during coughing. Severe coughing up blood may even be fatal if left untreated.