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What Causes Persistent Spitting Up Of Blood?

Posted on Tue, 19 Apr 2016

Question: What does it mean when someone is spitting up blood for over a period of several months Sometimes dark, and sometimes bright. YYYY@gmailcom

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Possibility of lung related causes is more.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Spitting up blood is known as hemoptysis.
It is mostly related to lung diseases like chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, bronchiectesis, pneumonia, cancer etc.
So please let me know
1. Is that patient cough constantly?
2. Has he ever undergone chest x ray?
3. Is he smoker?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.
I will be happy to help you further. Wishing him good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Deepak

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (38 minutes later)

He does have a cough and is an xSmoker. He's had chest X-rays and has been to a pulmonogist

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
What was the chest x ray report?

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Please let me know
1. What was the chest x report?
2. Is he having breathlessness?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better. I will be happy to help you further. Wishing him good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Naveen Kumar

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (33 minutes later)

Chest X-ray was negative. Some breathlessness

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Has he ever undergone PFT?

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.

I can understand your concern.

Possibility of bronchitis is more in his case. No need to worry for lung cancer, tuberculosis or pneumonia as his chest x ray is normal.

He is having breathlessness. So possibility of bronchitis is more.

So please let me know -

1. Has he ever undergone PFT (Pulmonary Function Test)?
2. Is he taking any drugs at present?

Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better.

I will be happy to help you further.

Wishing him good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (19 minutes later)

chest Ray was negative. Some breathlessness.

Yes. He has had a PFT. He is taking some medications but not for this problem. He has narcolepsy and had triple BIPASS surgery.

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (10 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Was PFT report normal?

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Narcolepsy can not cause hemoptysis.
Heart diseases like mitral stenosis can cause hemoptysis.
So please let me know
1. Is he having mitral stenosis?
2. Was his PFT report normal?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better. I will be happy to help you further. Wishing him good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Naveen Kumar

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (12 minutes later)

I'll get back to you in a few hours. I cannot reach my brother.( I'm asking these questions for him)

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (2 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I will wait.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
No worries. I will wait for your reply. Get back to me with the answers.
I will be happy to help you further. Wishing good health to your brother. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Naveen Kumar

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (8 hours later)

His PFTk was normal He doesn't think he has mitral stenosis

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (5 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Possibility of lung related causes is less.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Since his chest x ray and PFT reports are normal, possibility of lung related causes is less.
Now we need to see for conditions which imitate hemoptysis.
Conditions like oral ulcers, tooth caries, upper airway pathology, stomach bleeding etc can mimick hemoptysis.
So please let me know
1. Is he taking alcohol?
2. Is he having any dental problem?
3. Is he having XXXXXXX blood every time or it is mixed with mucus?
Please reply me answers of above asked questions, so that I can guide you better. I will be happy to help you further. Wishing good health to your brother. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Drkaushal85 (1 hour later)

No alcohol No dental problems. Some mucus sometimes mixed with the blood. Could there be some type of problems with the kidneys?

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (20 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Kidney problems are not directly related to hemoptysis.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow up question on Health Care Magic.
Kidney problems cannot directly cause hemoptysis.
But if renal (kidney) functions are impaired then these can cause anaemia (low hemoglobin) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets).
This can cause bleeding tendency because platelets and hemoglobin are needed to prevent bleeding.
So please let me know if he is having any kidney diseases.
I will be happy to help you further. Wishing good health to your brother. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Sonia Raina