Less common causes of coughing up blood

Less commonly, coughing up blood may be the result of:

  • pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in thelungs) this usually causes sudden shortness of breath and chest pain
  • pulmonary oedema (fluidin the lungs) your sputum will be pink and frothy, and this usually occurs in people with pre-existing heart problems
  • lung cancer this is more likely if you're over 40 and smoke
  • tuberculosis (TB) a severe lung infection associated with fever and sweating;this is becoming more common in the UK, but can be treated with prolonged antibiotics
  • cancerof the throat or windpipe
  • taking anticoagulants medications that help stop your blood clotting, such as warfarin ,rivaroxaban, or dabigatran

Sometimes, no cause can be found and it never happens again.



Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dez 2018