Haemoptysis

The main symptom of haemoptysis is coughing up blood or blood-stained mucus from the lungs or airways. It can range from small streaks in the sputum to larger amounts that require urgent medical attention. The blood may appear bright red and frothy if it's from the lungs.

Other symptoms can include:

• persistent cough

• shortness of breath

• chest pain

• wheezing

• fever or general unwellness

You should seek urgent medical advice if you cough up more than a few teaspoons of blood or if bleeding continues.

One of the most common causes of haemoptysis is an infection of the bronchi (the large tubes going down to your lungs), known as bronchitis. Another common cause is bronchiectasis, a disease where the large airways in your lungs are damaged.

Other causes of haemoptysis include:

• chronic obstructive lung disease

• lung cancer

• tuberculosis

• pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the arteries that supply blood to your lungs

• pneumonia or other lung infection

• having something stuck in your airway

• having fluid in your lungs due to a heart condition

• being on anticoagulant therapy (blood-thinning medications)

Haemoptysis is managed according to the amount and rate of bleeding, and how sick you are. If there's a lot of bleeding, you may need urgent medical treatment before any investigations are done.

At your initial consultation with one of our respiratory consultants, you’ll be asked about your medical history and your symptoms. They’ll ask you about how much blood you’ve been coughing up, how often it’s happened and how long it’s been happening for. 

Other tests may include: 

• taking your temperature

• looking up your nose

• blood tests

• saliva testing  

• a chest X-ray

• a CT scan 

• a bronchoscopy – a thin flexible camera passed into the lungs to find the bleeding site

If a blood clot in your lung is suspected, you may need a lung ventilation-perfusion scan, which looks at air flow and blood flow in the lungs.

Not all cases of haemoptysis can be prevented, especially when caused by underlying lung disease or injury. However, taking steps to protect your lungs and manage health conditions can lower your risk.

You can help reduce your risk of coughing up blood by:

• stopping smoking or avoiding exposure to second-hand smoke

• keeping up to date with flu and pneumonia vaccinations

• practising good hand hygiene to prevent chest infections

• seeking early treatment for persistent coughs or breathing problems

• managing long-term conditions such as asthma, COPD, or heart failure carefully

• following medical advice if you take blood-thinning medicines

• avoiding inhaling irritants such as dust, fumes or pollutants

• staying physically active and maintaining a healthy weight to support lung function

If you have a known lung condition, regular check-ups with your doctor or specialist can help spot changes early and prevent complications that could lead to haemoptysis.

In many cases, once the cause of haemoptysis is identified and treated, there are no further complications. However, in rare cases, heavy bleeding can block the airways or cause life-threatening breathing problems.

Possible complications include:

• severe blood loss, leading to breathing difficulties

• airway obstruction from clotted blood

• lung collapse due to blockage of airflow

• shock or cardiac arrest if bleeding is severe and untreated

Prompt diagnosis and management help reduce these risks.

The type of treatment you may receive will depend on the cause of your coughing up blood. If haemoptysis is severe, you may need a surgical procedure to stop the bleeding before the cause is found.

Treatment options include:

• antibiotics, if a bacterial infection is present

• stopping or adjusting anticoagulant medication if safe to do so

• bronchoscopy or endobronchial therapy to seal small bleeding areas

• embolisation (a minimally invasive radiology procedure to block the bleeding vessel)

• surgery, in severe or recurrent cases

At Welbeck, our respiratory consultants are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Get in touch today to book an appointment.