Why am i coughing up blood phlegm?

If you have suddenly started spitting out red-tinged sputum, then I must say that’s a sure-fire way to start panicking. But don’t worry, as it is not unusual for someone to experience the unsettling sight of coughing up blood phlegm or hemoptysis in medical terminology.

Coughing up blood phlegm should never be ignored and needs immediate attention from a medical professional – unless you enjoy being creative with your bodily fluids! In this article, we’re going to dive into the causes, symptoms and treatment options available for those dealing with bloody phlegm (this might gross you out so buckle up).

The first reaction

Anything involving human anatomy can’t be discussed without mentioning our yellow friends – mucus. It coats your respiratory tract like a warm fuzzy blanket (well..not literally), keeping it moist and trapping any dust particles, allergens or dirt that enter your lungs. Normally, the body rids itself through regular coughs forming sticky ‘phlegmy’ substances that are either clear/white/yellow/greenish/brown depending on what’s causing them (keep an eye for the rainbow colours next time).

But when it appears reddish/pink due to haemoglobin prescence from your bloodstream within your lung tissue; this indicates something is definitely wrong downstairs (FYI: We’re talking about our chest now!)

Let’s cross-examine some common reasons why bloody mucous flies off shelves:

Bronchitis

Bronchitis occurs when one experiences inflammation/swelling inside air passages leading towards their lungs called bronchi resulting in discharge of thick uniform-looking fluid known as sputum. When contracted along with bacterial infection symptomps like high fever/sweating/chills begin showing themselves quite rapidly whereas viral attacks take comparatively longer durations over weeks usually but both can cause minor blood speckled sputum drainage (you know just to keep things interesting)

Tuberculosis (TB)

Contracted via inhaling air which has tuberculosis bacteria floating around in it, TB initially comes off as dry persistent coughs followed by mild flu-like symptoms. Over time, the mucus turns into bloody phlegm leading to severe complications if treatment not undergone properly.

Filling up cups of suspicion

Not all coughing with blood is always pointing towards lung-based ailments. Like our body being a complex machine; its mechanisms can have complicated cogs that might go haywire for a short amount of time leading to some faulty wiring issues along with cardiac reasons behind hemoptysis. Let’s count in few more interesting possibilities shall we?

Cardiovascular Issues

Heart failure or Cardiomegaly/Enlarged heart/High Blood Pressure(think cute little spidey veins)/Weakenened Left Ventricle troubles/Cardiac Arrest/Spring myxedema/Nosebleeds – ALL could lead towards hard-hitting reality show actors who consistently face villainous challenges like bloody mucous production due to irregular flow regulation within chest region – usually termed as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea/kidney loss/hemodialysis plans etc playing their story part.

Basically…a whole lot of crappy surprises pop up when anything cardiovascular ends up contributing horrors beyond the norm!

Foreign Invasions!

A well-known yet surprisingly common cause includes inhalation/consumption of foreign objects into respiratory system resulting in blooming dangerous outcomes ranging from blockages/wheezing/coughs/inflammations/difficulties breathing and much much more! Heck, sometimes your festive dates end up swimming near nostrils obstructing airflow without you even knowing (grab those tweezers folks!)

Sidenote: My sincere apologies if these bullet points terrify anyone within range of their computer screen. Before running off to grab tweezers, let’s move on to the onset symptoms for coughing up blood phlegm.

Stages six feet under

Hemoptysis (coughing up blood) can be minimally present in mucus or massive clots can colonize your lungs and potentially kill you right then and there. Let’s briefly check the levels of bleeding in this regard.

Light- Bleeding level 1!

When just a few streaks that are either dark pink/bright brick red colour appear during early morning hours without giving you much stress should still not be ignored when found consistently happening over longer lasting periods resulting with doctors most probably ordering frequent small tests & observations with mild medication treatment as necessary if required.

Moderate-Slightly into naughty territory!

Gradually intensifying bloody production along signs like stomach pain/nausea/headaches/joint pains/sore throat force close monitoring from medical staff alongside prescriptions for further detailed analysis which would obviously depend upon age,family history,presence/severity of infections/lifestyle habits etc – basically anything relevant.

Heavy-Are we dead yet stage?

This level bleeds truly remains something straight outta horror movie scripts! If one starts throwing/coagulating voluminous clots or large amounts where breathing gets affected/sources unknown / high ranges visible pressure at base of nails due to low oxygen levels/gasp like fish gasping for air combined with chest pain/dizziness/blurred vision/fainting episodes; seek HELP PRONTO (I mean everything was fun until now but lets take matters seriously)

Diagnosis whether Goldilocks approved

Multiple factors come into action before determining precise diagnosis. Medical reports/relevant imaging results testify severity/causes behind such uncertain health scares down the line.

Common methods include:

• CT Scan
• X-Rays
• Bronchoscopy: This particular test involves upgrading into Level 7 hero where a thin tube accompanied by tiny camera is inserted within your trachea to examine inner lung tissue for required details.
• Blood Tests: Mostly conducted alongside other procedures to check count levels of cells/hormones/enzymes.
• Biopsy (Not something you wanna do on a late afternoon basis!)

Home remedies – Not all heroes wear capes

While hemoptysis can be diagnosed successfully, home remedies might offer succour too (unless dramatic output is preferred):

• Avoid smoking –seriously guys?
• Hydrate continuously
• Rest and more rest!
• Keep inhalers close and use humidifiers during dry spells.

Wrapping it up fatty style!

In conclusion, no one wants red-tinted secretions flying out of their oral cavity grossing out everyone in sight; but like most things related with human anatomy sometimes ’Shit happens!’. It’s how we handle the matter that devises appropriate action plans for seeking help in time to evade becoming showpiece objects at our local science museums! (ewww I apologize if thats not really what you want jumping around in your head).

Remember kids always wash hands/spend less time polluting lungs/sleep well/keep exercising and visit doctors when suspicious signs start showing staying healthy means knowing whats working inside as often as possible 🙂