View Full Version : Coughing up blood :(
Hello guys, I'm not looking for a diagnosis or anything, just for some helpful comments and reassurance.
So I am a 27 yo male, fairly healthy, never smoked and drink occasionally.
3 weeks ago I had a very bad sore throat and cold which made me sound like Barry White for a few days and I had a couple days off work, the following week I noticed I was spitting up blood in the morning when coughing in the shower, after 3 days of doing this I booked a Drs appointment, saw a nurse who booked me in for a chest xray.
Inbetween seeing the nurse and having a chest xray I got ill again (or never truly got rid of my cold and had the fever for a couple days) baring in mind I am still coughing and spitting up blood on occasions.
Fast forward another week and xray has come back clear, I'm still spitting blood at random times. (this blood isn't bright red raw blood) but spit tinged with a bit of blood.
I have another Drs appointment next week to review my coughing and blood etc etc and possibility of getting a camera down me to see my lungs and airways I'm guessing. The Drs first instinct is just inflammation but given my past history (testicular cancer at 16) they want to check all basis.
I just need some reassurance that I don't have lung cancer or something life-threatening. I generally feel fine in myself, no shortness of breath, no chest pain etc.
So anyone that's had a similar symptoms please help me out :) because I am literally killing myself thinking of the worst. Thank you.
Anyone please? I'm panicking, crying and can't get my head straight.. I feel dead inside so much to the point that I don't even care anymore.
Hiyer RVP,
I'm sorry you've not had a reply yet. To be honest, when I read stories like yours, I tend to look for is there 'cause and effect' for the least likely cause of the symptoms. In what you are saying above, there is cause - the awful cold sounding throat and cold virus you had and now the bloody sputum that you are coughing up. ALl this problem you are having started after a virus, and why would lung cancer just pop on in there at the same time (also without other symptoms AND a clear chest xray!) I have once had what you are describing, after a major coughing fit decades ago, and I have to say - PANIC - like majorly. It really set me off bigtime. I'm not surprised you are really upset! I saw medics at the time and they reminded me that it is also possible that the blood could be coming from down your nasal/sinus passages and it appears like it is your throat/chest. Has that been discussed? It was a one-off for me, but it was put down to 'irritation'. There is an NHS article on it, and rather than post the link here I have copied the 'common causes of bloody sputum'
Common causes of coughing up blood The most common reasons for coughing up blood are:
a prolonged, severe cough (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough/)
a chest infection (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chest-infection/) – this is more likely if your sputum is discoloured or contains pus, you have a fever, or you have a tight feeling in your chest
bronchiectasis (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bronchiectasis/) – this is more likely if you're also wheezy or short of breath
Sometimes a severe nosebleed (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nosebleed/) or bleeding from the mouth or throat can cause blood to come out in your saliva when you cough.
It must be very frightening and alarming, I know it would really really scare me (and has) but really.....it does seem, if you think about it, that it could be one of those 'common reasons' above ?
nomorepanic
27-02-19, 20:32
There are loads of posts about this so scroll down the page and you will see similar threads.
You are a healthy 27 year old, who has never smoked,and lung cancer is generally diagnosed from 40 years onwards with the peak age ofor diagnoses being decades older than that.
I just did a quick search myself for 'coughing up blood' and there are indeed plenty of threads about that on here, a few I looked at were young like yourself and had had a cough/cold virus.
ankietyjoe
27-02-19, 21:46
It's relatively common with a bad cough.
Thank you for your comments guys.. it does make me feel a little better. Yesterday was good because I didn't cough but then most morning when I get up to go toilet and cough blood almost always comes out for the first few coughs. It's like it accumulates or clots and then getting up moving around irritates it and when I cough and spit out blood comes out and will do for the next say.. 4/5 coughs, eventually clear spit starts coming out
Are you coughing a lot RVP ?
Are you coughing a lot RVP ?
I have been coughing quite hard and quite a lot over the past 2-3 weeks, ever since I got a cold.
The cough is still there but in my opinion, it seems like it's getting better. Less irritation to the throat and I am also taking throat numbing spray which helps.
If you mean the amount of blood, then I would say no. It's a normal amount of spit but it'll be blood tinged, so not raw red blood. It'll be almost a light red, somewhat pink for a few coughs and then back to white again.
For example, I coughed blood this morning and then all day today I have had nothing and I have been coughing. Also I found it a little odd that almost everyday I do cough it has been in the morning and then sporadic times in the day, not throughout the day, but maybe once possibly twice. So I feel like the blood spitting is also getting better? Or is that just me hoping.
Hiyer, well that is good news if you possibly feel that the cough is improving and then following that the blood tinged mucous lessening. The way I would look at it is that, it might be the same or better as it was, BUT its certainly not worse and thats gotta be good. Yes, I meant coughing frequently, rather than quantity of bloody stuff. However, I take your point that my question indeed could have meant either :blush:
Also I found it a little odd that almost everyday I do cough it has been in the morning and then sporadic times in the day, not throughout the day, but maybe once possibly twice.
NOt sure I understand quite what you mean here, but coughing in the morning very badly is usual after a bad cold. I can spend the first hour of the day bringing up all the yuck that has gone to my lungs and stuck in my throat.
Hiyer, well that is good news if you possibly feel that the cough is improving and then following that the blood tinged mucous lessening. The way I would look at it is that, it might be the same or better as it was, BUT its certainly not worse and thats gotta be good. Yes, I meant coughing frequently, rather than quantity of bloody stuff. However, I take your point that my question indeed could have meant either :blush:
NOt sure I understand quite what you mean here, but coughing in the morning very badly is usual after a bad cold. I can spend the first hour of the day bringing up all the yuck that has gone to my lungs and stuck in my throat.
Sorry what I meant to say was the blood I bring up has mainly been in mornings first thing when I wake up and after a few coughs the spit/mucus is white again.
Frankly, I think it comes down to dryness from breathing through your mouth combined with the remnants of the bug you had.
Positive thoughts
I had a similar issue recently - found blood in my saliva for several days, although I didn't have a cough as such. Naturally I assumed that I had lung cancer and immediately planned my funeral/wrote my will/found a guardian for the cat. I am 34 and a non-smoker and, needless to say, my chest x-ray came back all clear.
Your bloody cough is certainly caused by your recent illness, and mine was probably caused by dry mouth as a result of medication and postnasal drip. In both cases, it's just simple throat/chest irritation and a couple of little broken blood vessels.
Hi Cary's, well.. from Thursday to Sunday I never coughed up any blood and my cough has gotten considerably less which is fantastic.
This morning after brushing my teeth and rinsed out etc I coughed hard when brushing my tongue and the blood stained spit returned for a few coughs.
I was so happy that it was getting better and this has brought me back down to square one and that too on a Monday morning :( the fact that it stopped for 3-4 days is a good sign that it isn't serious right??
Sounds like a good sign to me, RVP. Honestly, if it's no longer every day I'd be inclined to just wait for your body to heal.
the fact that it stopped for 3-4 days is a good sign that it isn't serious right??Yes ! You have a teeny blood vessel damaged during the cold irritation I reckon, the cough is improving and the blood stained spit is improving. Its all going the right way isn't it, a shame that you had another coughing fit that set it off....but its certainly improving.
Yes ! You have a teeny blood vessel damaged during the cold irritation I reckon, the cough is improving and the blood stained spit is improving. Its all going the right way isn't it, a shame that you had another coughing fit that set it off....but its certainly improving.
The only thing that's bothering me is it wasnt a coughing fit..It was more a few coughs then like a small tiny blood clot kinda came up and then a little bit of blood in my spit. So not sure what's going on tbh
You have a clear "cause and effect" going on here. You had a cold/cough, and then you saw blood-tinged mucus. This is not worrying
The only time you'd worry about coughing up blood is if you cough up actual blood, and its persistent and you've smoked for 30 years.
Lung cancer in the 20s is unheard of - I work at a regional cancer centre, I have never seen it so young. I saw it in a 36 year old, but she had a strong family history AND a genetic disorder
Good luck, move on from this
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