A lady spits blood while coughing during rainy or winter seasons.What can be the possible causes?

Question

She(age 50,weight 48kg,height 5’2”)spits blood while coughing during rainy or winter seasons for the last 3-4 years?She is a housewife in a middleclass family & has to do all household works What can be the possible causes & what tests should be done to diagnose her problem?

Answer 1

Well, she could've been exposed to toxic fumes when cleaning the house (ammonia, bleach, other cleaning products) or may have a severe lung infection due to smoking or inhalation of asbestos or lead dust if she lives in an older house.

The presence of blood leads me immediately to think TB, because that is a common sign. But it could be anything, really. Especially if she or someone in the household smokes, it could be an onset of lung cancer, emphasyma, COPD.

Pneumonia would be a good guess too, particularly if the house is damp and cold. There could be toxic molds in her house. Or she might have a severe cold due to an already compromised immune system. Congestive heart failure is another possibility.

As far as tests go, I would check a CBC (to see what her white count is (shows an infection), and what her red cell count is, because she could be anemic.) I would also get a chem panel, to see if her blood contains the right amount of nutrients and electrolytes. I would do a lung function test to see if I could hear any popping, cracking, wheezing, or other abnormality in her lungs. Also I would get a chest x-ray to see if there are any nodules in her lungs suggestive of lung cancer or TB, or fluid in her lungs suggestive of congestive heart failure. I would do a TB test, too, and put her on a heart monitor to see if she's got signs of congestive heart failure, as that often leads to fluid in the lungs.

Answer 2

the fumes from the cleaning products she uses now or used to use in her younger years (the older cleaning products were probably more dangerous than todays) and during the rain or winter venilation is poor for the less likely chance of someone opening a window

Answer 3

Pulmonary TB is the most dreaded of all bloody sputum reasons.

Go to a doctor and he/she will order some tests. Xrays too.