Dry cough and spitting up blood

Blood may come from irritated gums, the nose or throat, or the lower airways. Repeated forceful coughing can injure small surface vessels. Acute bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, and other airway conditions can also present with coughing blood. A clinician needs to establish whether it was coughed up from the chest, vomited, or noticed after nosebleeding. The colour, amount, recurrence, and accompanying symptoms all matter.

Stop strenuous activity, sit upright, and note when the bleeding began and whether it recurs. If possible, keep a photograph or describe the amount and appearance for the clinician. Do not smoke or vape, and do not take cough suppressants or blood-thinning medicines unless a clinician tells you to. Bring a list of medicines and relevant medical conditions to the assessment.

Call emergency services for more than a small streak, ongoing or repeated bleeding, breathlessness, chest pain, a very fast heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion, or blue lips. Urgent assessment is also needed if you have a high fever, feel severely unwell, or take anticoagulants. Even a small unexplained episode should be discussed promptly, particularly when the cough is persistent.

Could the blood be from my nose, throat, stomach, or lungs? Do I need chest imaging or other tests? Should I change any medicine while this is being investigated?