SouthChic

Basal crepitations are a crackling noise heard in the lower lobes of the lungs on ausculation. (using a stethoscope). It usually infers the patient has a chest infection etc.

Bronchitis and certain strains of pneumonia can cause blood vessels in the lungs to bleed. So can blood clots and swelling of lung tissue caused by heart problems. At the worst, tuberculosis and lung cancer could produce bloody phlegm.

The source of the blood isn't always confined to the respiratory tract. You could also be bleeding in your stomach and coughing it up.

In either case, here's what you need to do:

Keep an eye on it - Stay vigilant: Watch out to see if it happens again or gets worse. If it does, see your doctor.

Don't block the blood - Don't take an over-the-counter cough suppressant to stifle your blood-tinged sputum. By treating yourself, you might be allowing blood to pool somewhere inside your body, and you could be masking a sign of a serious problem. Your doctor may decide you need a cough suppressant so you don't aggravate whatever might be producing the blood, but let that be his or her option.

Cough into a container - If you cough up blood more than once or are worried enough by what you see, go to the doctor. Make sure you take along a sample of the phlegm for testing. If it's an infection, the test will ensure that you get the right antibiotic.

If the blood is a fresh bright red, you're still bleeding. If it's a darker red, or perhaps brown or rust-colored, the blood has dried or clotted. In less serious cases, the blood will appear as small red dots or flecks in the mucus. In more serious cases, the blood may appear as streaks or clots, or it could just well up in the mouth.