Does bronchiectasis cause coughing up blood?

Bronchiectasis can damage and widen airway walls. Repeated irritation, infection, or forceful coughing may make small blood vessels there bleed, so streaks of blood can appear in mucus. The amount and pattern matter, and blood may also come from the nose, mouth, throat, or another lung condition.

Coughing up blood is not something to diagnose at home. Note its colour, amount, whether it is mixed with phlegm, and whether you also have fever, chest pain, or breathlessness.

Contact a clinician promptly if you cough up blood, even when it is only a small streak. Keep taking prescribed medicines unless a clinician tells you otherwise, and bring a list of medicines that affect bleeding. Do not assume the cause is bronchiectasis without an assessment.

Read about [Bronchiectasis](/conditions/bronchiectasis/) and [Coughing Up Blood](/symptoms/coughing-up-blood/).

Call emergency services for heavy or ongoing bleeding, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fainting, confusion, or blue or grey lips. Urgent care is also needed if the bleeding is increasing or you feel suddenly unwell.

Ask where the blood may be coming from, whether infection or airway irritation is involved, and whether you need chest imaging or other tests. Ask what amount or change should prompt emergency help.