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What Causes Blood In Sputum Of A Person With Sinus Infection?

Posted on Fri, 5 Jun 2015

Question: Sometimes I'll randomly taste blood with out coughing or anything. When I spit it is tinted red for a few spits then returns to normal. I have bad sinuses but no nose bleeds. This had been on and off for 18 months. Could this be cancer?

Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (32 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
visit ENT clinic. you may have deviated septum. cancer unlikely

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome to HCM and thanks for choosing us.

I share your concerns about blood in sputum and your worry about cancer. I have gone through your earlier queries also. In my opinion you have some local issue in throat or in nasopharynx (upper part of throat behind the nose). You may have small ulcers or inflammation (rhinitis, pharyngitis) or deviated nasal septum or bronchitis. In my opinion chances of cancer are not there in your case. At this age throat or lung cancer is very rare.

I would advise you to visit an ENT clinic. Go for endoscopic examination of nose, bronchi to come to a diagnosis. Based on that treatment can be planned for you. I strongly suspect deviated nasal septum as it explains your frequent rhinitis as well as blood in sputum.

If all ENT examination come normal, please go for a blood work up for clotting time, prothrombin time and bleeding time along with study of clotting factors.

I hope my reply will help you. Please feel free to contact us for more information and follow up queries. I wish you good health and rapid recovery from the current illness. Kindly rate this reply. Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (1 hour later)

I am also nasal a lot too sir just hope it's not leukemia

Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
leukaemia unlikely, please do ENT examination

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX , welcome again.

I would still not suspect leukaemia. Leukaemia will have several other findings. You need to first under go thorough ENT examination , if that remains non conclusive we may have to think other options.

I wish you good health. Please feel free to contact us for more information and follow up queries. Kindly rate this reply. Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (3 hours later)

It's been on and off for 18 months too. If it were cancer wouldn't it have made me really sick by now

Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (55 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
you are right. cancer has several other findings

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome again thanks for the follow up question.

You are absolutely right. If you have had blood cancer for 18 months you would have following findings
Fatigue
Weakness
Loss of appetite and weight
Bleeding in gums, nose
Bone and joint pain
Abdomen distension due to spleen and liver enlargement
Lymph nodes enlargement in whole body

So , you don't have any of these symptoms, it is unlikely that you have cancer. I strongly believe that you have some local problem only in your nose or throat or in bronchi.

Please feel free to contact us for follow up queries. I wish you good health.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (3 hours later)

Is it possible to be sinuses my eyes are always swollen and I've always had an enlarged tonsil from sinuses and allergies

Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
deviated septum or allergy can cause sinusitis too.

Detailed Answer:
Dear, welcome again.

Deviated nasal septum or allergy can cause sinusitis too. It is certainly a possibility with your symptoms. Enlarged tonsils are also indicative of allergies. Sinusitis can cause bleeding . Endoscopic examination will reveal everything in one go. You should request your doctor for that.

Please feel free to contact for more follow up queries. I again wish you good health. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (55 minutes later)

Thank you sir as long as it's not cancer I'm not worried it's only about 3 spits that are tinted red that's all. So it's not a lot of blood and it hasn't got any worse in 18 months

Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
meet ENT specialist to know the exact reason behind it. it is not a cancer

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXX, welcome again.

Stop worrying, chances of cancer are not with your symptoms. However make an attempt to know about the cause behind it in consultation with your ENT specialist, before it becomes more frequent.

Thanks for the feedback. I wish you a healthy living. Please feel free to contact us for any health related question. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D

Follow up: Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (47 hours later)

I went to my doctor he told me to just take a nasssl spray does that sound good or is it more to it

Answered by Dr. Heera Lal Poonia (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
use spray for prescribed time. wait for outcome

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX, welcome again.

If your doctor has given you spray after thorough examination, I think you can use spray for some time and wait for the outcome. You might have rhinitis or nasal congestion. Spray will give you relief. Use it for prescribed time. Report back or any other doctor if you are not satisfied with the results.

Best wishes. I wish you rapid recovery. Thanks

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad