Coughing up blood?!


Question:

Coughing up blood?

my best friends little sister had been coughing up some blood recently and shes only 12 i was wondering wat possible diseases it anything it could be or if it might not be that big of deal
thanks


Answers:

Coughing up slightly blood tinged phlegm or sputum during a bad cold and for a few days thereafter is normal. Sputum heavily mixed with blood is more serious. Does the girl have some underlying condition such as cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis?

TB and cancer are obvious diseases that come to mind, but very unlikely in a 12 year old.

First, is the blood really coming from the lungs or bronchial tubes. Children with nosebleeds can swallow, then cough up blood. Coughing blood from a stomach ulcer is also very uncommon in children. Blood from the lungs and bronchial tubes usually results from inflammation caused by infection, foreign body, tumor, or perhaps from a congenital anomaly like a hemangioma (benign blood vessel tumor).

If this condition has persisted for more than 48 - 72 hours, I suggest you urge your friend's parents to take the child to a doctor for a thorough exam, possibly to include a chest x-ray, blood count and perhaps a flexible bronchoscopy.




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