Bronchitis may cause you to cough up blood, known as hemoptysis. Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchial tubes, or airways, that usually happens due to an infection or breathing in irritants like smoke.
It’s important to seek medical help if you’re coughing up blood. A healthcare professional can determine if hemoptysis is due to bronchitis or another condition.
If you have hemoptysis with bronchitis, treatments will likely focus on addressing the underlying cause and stopping the bleeding.
Read on to learn more about bronchitis and hemoptysis, including symptoms and causes, how doctors diagnose the cause of hemoptysis, treatment options, and more.
Hemoptysis is coughing up blood. It’s a symptom of a condition, such as bronchitis.
You may bring up blood when you cough, or you may notice spots or streaks of blood in your phlegm. Both instances need medical attention.
If hemoptysis is due to bronchitis, you may also be experiencing common symptoms of bronchitis, including:
- coughing
- yellow or green mucus when coughing
- nasal congestion
- chest congestion
- low grade fever
- wheezing
- a whistling sound when you breathe
- tiredness
Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchial tubes, or airways. It typically happens due to a virus or breathing in an irritant, such as:
- smoke
- dust
- air pollution
- fumes
Bacterial infections can also cause bronchitis.
This irritation and inflammation can lead to bleeding in the airways.
If you experience hemoptysis and you already have a bronchitis diagnosis, your doctor might order various tests to check for other possible causes of bleeding. Tests they may order include:
- chest radiography
- CT scans
- CT angiography scans
- bronchoscopy
If you don’t yet have a bronchitis diagnosis but do have symptoms of the condition, your doctor may not need to order any tests to confirm the diagnosis. But they may order tests, like a chest X-ray, to rule out pneumonia and other possible causes.
In mild cases of hemoptysis, treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause.
If it’s due to bronchitis, treatments include:
- resting
- drinking plenty of water
- taking pain relief medication
- using a humidifier
- taking antibiotics if a bacterial infection is present
- using bronchodilators such as albuterol
- taking steroids
For massive hemoptysis, where you cough up a lot of blood, a healthcare professional may recommend bronchial arterial embolization. This involves blocking the arteries to prevent bleeding.
Contact a doctor if you cough up a few small spots of blood once or infrequently.
Seek immediate medical help if you cough up a lot of blood, or if coughing up blood accompanies symptoms such as:
- breathing difficulties
- a fast heartbeat
- chest pain
- upper back pain
Other conditions, such as pulmonary embolism, can cause coughing up blood. It’s important to get an accurate diagnosis as soon as possible.
Bronchitis refers to inflammation of the bronchial tubes, or airways. It usually happens in response to an infection or breathing in irritants. The inflammation and irritation of the airways can lead to hemoptysis, or coughing up blood.
Treatment for hemoptysis usually focuses on addressing the underlying cause. In severe cases, bronchial arterial embolization or another medical treatment may be necessary.
Contact a doctor if you cough up a small amount of blood. Seek immediate medical help if you cough up large amounts of blood, or if you cough up blood and have symptoms like breathing difficulties, a fast heartbeat, or upper back or chest pain.