Why does my cough taste like blood?

Question

Accepted Answer

That metallic, coppery taste during a coughing fit is almost always a small amount of actual blood - and the question is where from. In the common case, nowhere serious: days of vigorous coughing inflame and dry the airway lining, and tiny surface vessels break, releasing traces of blood you taste but may never see. Nosebleeds and irritated gums are the other quiet contributors - blood from the nose drips down the back of the throat, especially overnight, and a cough delivers it to your tongue. MedlinePlus notes that coughed-up blood is often just streaks mixed into mucus, bright red or rust-coloured. Here is the part that overrides the reassurance: both the NHS and MedlinePlus are explicit that coughing up blood should be checked by a doctor even when the cause turns out to be minor, because the possible causes range from a chest infection or severe cough to bronchiectasis, a blood clot on the lung, or lung cancer - and nobody can sort those on taste alone. So the rule is simple: a metallic taste during a nasty cough, book a GP appointment in the next few days and mention the taste; streaks of visible blood in the mucus, same advice, do not wait for it to recur. And some versions skip the queue entirely - MedlinePlus says get medical help right away if you cough up more than a few teaspoons of blood, or if the blood comes with chest pain, breathlessness, fever, dizziness, or blood in your urine or stools. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you judge how urgently yours needs checking.

Why does my cough taste like blood?

Cough tastes of blood? Text a free AI doctor

What to do

Related questions

Sources