What could be the reason for coughing blood with phlegm?

Question

Hi doctor,

I drank last night, woke up with a hangover, ate in the afternoon, I vomited all my food. After I vomiting, I thought I coughed up phlegm, but it was blood. And since then, when I swallow, I can taste some blood. When I spit phlegm out, there is a little spot of blood. Did I scratch my throat, or is it something else? Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your query, and I can understand your concern. Spitting up or vomiting blood after heavy drinking needs to be evaluated because it could be a symptom of some serious diseases. The symptoms you mentioned suggest the possibility of gastritis (inflammation of your stomach) caused by binge drinking. If you are a chronic drinker, you must rule out liver diseases first. I suggest you consult a gastroenterologist and get the following things done: go for an LFT (liver function test) to know your liver's status and rule out the initial stages of liver cirrhosis, an upper GI (gastrointestinal) endoscopy is needed to look for gastritis and stomach ulcers. A biopsy may be needed if some suspicious lesions are found, go for a coagulation profile to rule out bleeding disorders, and a USG (ultrasonography) abdomen is also needed. As of now, you can do the following : avoid drinking alcohol, take antacids like Pantoprazole after consulting your doctor, and eat a healthy diet. The differential diagnosis is variceal bleeding. The treatment plan is conservative. Thank you.