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Could Constant Coughing Up With Bloody Mucus Be Due To Smoking?
Hi, I have just come out of hospital, yesterday after spending christmas alone on a ward, I was taken into a nd e, christmas eve, as I had been coughing up blood for 5hrs non stop, I do not have a cold,or sore throat, no headaches, chest pains, I do not drink alcohol. but I do smoke, not many just 7 a day.. no excuse I know, I have been smoking for 45yrs, and I am 55yrs old, I am determined to give up smoking and not had a cigarette since that frightening experience, The hospital failed to come up with an answer why,or where it came from. blood tests came back normal, I never had a temprature the whole time, no fever either. no sweats. nothing, just coughing up blood, which stopped on its own accord christmas day about 11am.im coughing normally and just 2/times singularly a day with very light grey sputum, breathing is normal,in fact I can take deep breathes without coughing atall. is this normal behaviour, and should I consider having further investigation to see if I have lung cancer, I am worried sick, but either way I shall never smoke again. thankyou for a wonderful site, and your time.
Wed, 18 Oct 2017
Hello,
It sounds like these symptoms shook you up a bit and your concern is understandable. Smoking often causes a chronic cough, which often is attributed to direct damage to the lung over years in the form of a disease called "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", or COPD (sometimes referred to as emphysema). This can be diagnosed on breathing tests (pulmonary function tests). Although COPD by itself shouldn't cause coughing up blood, severe enough coughing can tear or injure the airways and this can lead to expectoration of blood temporarily.
Because of your smoking history, you should have an x-ray of the chest done to make sure there are no lesions or tumors in the lungs that are causing this expectoration of blood. If you expectorate blood again, then you should have a more extensive workup that would include a CT of the chest and possibly even bronchoscopy.
COPD is a treatable disease, and there are inhalers available to help reduce coughing. However, the damage that has been done to the lungs is irreversible. I commend you for quitting smoking, as this is the best thing you can do for your health's benefit.
It sounds like these symptoms shook you up a bit and your concern is understandable. Smoking often causes a chronic cough, which often is attributed to direct damage to the lung over years in the form of a disease called "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease", or COPD (sometimes referred to as emphysema). This can be diagnosed on breathing tests (pulmonary function tests). Although COPD by itself shouldn't cause coughing up blood, severe enough coughing can tear or injure the airways and this can lead to expectoration of blood temporarily.
Because of your smoking history, you should have an x-ray of the chest done to make sure there are no lesions or tumors in the lungs that are causing this expectoration of blood. If you expectorate blood again, then you should have a more extensive workup that would include a CT of the chest and possibly even bronchoscopy.
COPD is a treatable disease, and there are inhalers available to help reduce coughing. However, the damage that has been done to the lungs is irreversible. I commend you for quitting smoking, as this is the best thing you can do for your health's benefit.
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