Coughing Up Blood – Another Symptom of COPD

Nov 27
08:47

2012

Remcel Mae P. Canete

Remcel Mae P. Canete

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COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease actually refers to a group of lung diseases. The blocking of airflow as a patient exhales becomes a problem making the sheer act of breathing more and more of a challenge.

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COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease actually refers to a group of lung diseases. The blocking of airflow as a patient exhales becomes a problem making the sheer act of breathing more and more of a challenge. Although COPD is a leading cause of death in most parts of the world,Coughing Up Blood – Another Symptom of COPD Articles it is in most cases an avoidable disease. COPD is generally caused by long-term smoking. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chronic coughing, tightness in the chest region, and wheezing. However, on occasion a person suffering from COPD may also begin to cough up blood. This symptom can be extremely alarming. 

There are many other health conditions that can result in hemoptysis, the coughing up of blood. Making a determination as to where the blood is coming from and what is causing the bleeding is very important. Even if you're seeing only a very little blood, you should contact your doctor right away.
If you are producing blood during a coughing spell, it will look very different from blood that comes from the lining of your mouth, the throat, or the intestinal track. Blood coming from the respiratory track often has a bubbly appearance, because it is mixed with air and mucus. The blood tends to be bright red or even rusty in color. You may only see small streaks of blood in the mucous or significantly more.
Although there are numerous conditions that can produce blood during a coughing spell, unfortunately, one of the conditions is lung cancer. Generally speaking, the earlier that lung cancer is detected, the better the prognosis. Thus, any blood produced should be examined by a doctor. If it all possible, bringing a sample of the blood to your doctor's office is very helpful. After collecting a sample, wrap it in plastic or wax paper. This will preserve it better than simply using tissue paper. By taking the time to do this, your doctor will have a better chance of determining where the blood came from and just how serious your condition may be. 

If you have COPD, you should always work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan that will help to manage the symptoms. There are plenty of medical and non-medical treatments available. Although COPD is not curable, with the right medications such as generic Symbicort inhaler and appropriate lifestyle changes you can improve the quality of life.  

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD), chronic airflow limitation (CAL) and chronic obstructive respiratory disease (CORD), is the occurrence of chronic bronchitis or emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which the airways narrow over time. This limits airflow to and from the lungs, causing shortness of breath (dyspnea). In clinical practice, COPD is defined by its characteristically low airflow on lung function tests.[2] In contrast to asthma, this limitation is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time. In England, an estimated 842,100 of 50 million people have a diagnosis of COPD.