Coughing up mucus with blood

Small streaks can appear after forceful coughing because the lining of the throat or airways becomes irritated. Acute bronchitis and a common cold can also inflame these passages. Bronchiectasis may cause recurring mucus and blood, while asthma or chronic cough can repeatedly strain airway tissue. Blood that is actually vomited, or bleeding from the nose or gums, can be mistaken for blood from the lungs.

Colour and appearance matter, but they do not provide a diagnosis. A clinician will consider fever, breathlessness, chest pain, smoking or vaping exposure, medicines that affect clotting, and whether the bleeding is new or recurring.

Stop strenuous activity, sit upright and avoid smoking while arranging advice. Note the colour, approximate amount, frequency and whether it was mixed through mucus or appeared as streaks. Do not take someone else’s antibiotics or change prescribed blood-thinning medicine without medical advice.

Contact a clinician promptly even if the amount seems small when the symptom repeats, follows an infection without improving, or occurs in someone with a lung condition. Bring a list of medicines and describe any recent nose or throat bleeding.

Seek emergency help for more than a few streaks, ongoing bleeding, clots, severe breathlessness, chest pain, dizziness, fainting, blue lips or sudden weakness. Urgent assessment is also needed if blood appears with a fast heartbeat or a new one-sided leg swelling.

Could the blood be from my nose, throat or lungs? Do my medicines affect bleeding? Do I need a chest examination or imaging? Which symptoms mean I should go to emergency care?