PrintSigns and Symptoms of Hemoptysis
Hemoptysis is a symptom of many different underlying disorders, from cancer to a mild bronchial infection. In addition to coughing up blood and depending on what is causing the bloody sputum, a patient may notice other symptoms including the following:
- Chest pain
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath, even without exercise)
- Fever
- Nausea
- Tachypnea (rapid breathing)
- Vomiting
Even without other symptoms, anyone who coughs up blood should contact his or her physician or health care practitioner. In most cases, hemoptysis is symptomatic of a mild bronchial infection, it can be a sign of a more serious illness.
Patients are often not sure if the blood is from the respiratory tract or not. There is a big difference, in terms of prognosis (final outcome and expected recovery) and treatment, between hemoptysis and hematemesis (vomiting blood).
Signs of hemoptysis include:
- Any respiratory symptoms, such as a cough
- Bright red blood
- Blood that has a liquid or clotted, frothy appearance
Signs of hematemesis include:
- A history of excessive alcohol use or liver disease
- Any esophogastric symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting
- Brown or black blood
- Blood that looks like coffee grounds
- Dark-colored, tar-like stools (a condition known as melena)
