$Unique_ID{BRK00972}
$Pretitle{Infections or Parasites}
$Title{What Condition Causes One to Cough Up Blood?}
$Subject{blood coughing hemoptysis}
$Volume{A-5}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


What Condition Causes One to Cough Up Blood?


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QUESTION:  There is a man who lives in the same adult home that I do, who I
see coughing up blood several times a day.  I tell him that he must do
something about it, but he claims it is nothing and will go away.  Do you know
what this condition is, and what should I do about it?  I feel sorry for him,
but am also afraid that it might be catching and dangerous to all of us.

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ANSWER:  Your concern is not without good reason, and your efforts to obtain
help for this man are important.  Coughing up blood is called "hemoptysis" in
medical terminology and can be classified as mild, moderate or severe,
depending upon the amount of blood which is coughed up.  It is hard to tell
you an exact diagnosis for there are more than a hundred causes of this
symptom listed by the American Thoracic Society, and you have not provided me
with enough details to even make a guess.  In about 20 to 40 percent of the
cases, the underlying disease is either bronchitis, which is caused by an
infection, or bronchiectasis, a condition of the lungs where the bronchi have
become dilated and possibly infected as well.  Lung cancer can certainly be at
the root of this problem, and we can not overlook the possibility of
tuberculosis.  These conditions probably account for more than two thirds of
all the cases of hemoptysis.  While small amounts of blood loss are not too
serious and won't endanger this man's life, things can become progressively
worse if not attended to, and death can result both from asphyxiation (when
the blood blocks off the breathing tubes) as well as excessive blood loss
itself.  Your responsibility to the others living in your home as well as to
this individual make the need for your intervention quite clear.  A talk with
your health personnel, nurse or physician, or an administrator of the home is
in order.  Only they are in a position to get things moving in the proper
fashion.  You are not being a "busy body" in doing this, but acting in a
fashion that will be in the best interests of all concerned.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
