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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Coughing, White Phlegm With Blood, Pain In Ribs

hello. im having a hard time with this cough :( two week s ago when i started having this cough. i ve already took medicines for seven days but its still there, last week im having a green phlegm but now white phlegm with a lil red thing (blood?) but only in the moring.. then yesterday its so hard for me to cough because my left ribs is aching every time i cough :(
Mon, 1 Apr 2013
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Pulmonologist 's  Response
Hello,

Let us presume that you were hail and hearty 2 weeks back and you do not smoke.

If green phlegm has become white with treatment, it is good. There was some infection in your wind pipe or lungs and it is improving. Red color of the phlegm does not sound good. It is not likely to be a major concern, as the red thing appears only in the morning. With the help of your doctor, get the phlegm tested for microbes and see whether red color is really due to blood. Have you done an X-ray of the chest?

Cough is one of the earliest symptoms in lung diseases to appear and the last to disappear, even when treated. If it is very hard to cough, your doctor will help you with some medicine to loosen up the phlegm (mucolytics). Simple pain medication or local heat with pain balms may help the pain over the rib.

Hope you get well soon. Thanks a ton for using healthcaremagic.com
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Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Maruti Karale's  Response
Hello!

Thanks for writing to us.

Cough with white phlegm and scanty blood could be because of upper respiratory tract infection like pharyngitis,bronchitis or lower respiratory tract infection like pneumonia.Also you have pain ribs that is more while coughing could be due to chronic coughing leading to muscle ache.

In such cases it takes time to resolve cough and chest pain.If you do not have fever,malaise,breathlessness then you need not repeat antibiotics course. you can take mucolytic and cough expectorant syrup for symptom relief if hemoptysis is scanty.

Hemoptysis is not a good sign for chest infection.Hence i would like to suggest to get a X-ray chest done along with sputum AFB, cytology and visit to physician for clinical correlation and further investigations if needed.

Hope this will help you.

Wish you good health.
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  User's Response
dr sachin pandit's  Response

GET YOUR COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT AND CHEST XRAY DONE. SO THAT WE CAN HAVE DIAGNOSIS IN OUR HAND. SECOND THING THIS PROBLEM CAN BE CHECKED IN HOMOEOPATHY IN NO TIME AND MONEY.
Cardiologist Dr. Anantharamakrishnan's  Response
Hi friend,
Welcome to Health Care Magic

Blood, if suspected in sputum, needs investigation.
In your case - only suspicion, one time, morning only - may mean the blood could be from pharynx , even gums / all the same it should be investigated to exclude other serious issues.
See a Pulmonologist - better be safe than sorry.

Take care
Wishing speedy recovery
God bless
Good luck
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Coughing, White Phlegm With Blood, Pain In Ribs

Hello, Let us presume that you were hail and hearty 2 weeks back and you do not smoke. If green phlegm has become white with treatment, it is good. There was some infection in your wind pipe or lungs and it is improving. Red color of the phlegm does not sound good. It is not likely to be a major concern, as the red thing appears only in the morning. With the help of your doctor, get the phlegm tested for microbes and see whether red color is really due to blood. Have you done an X-ray of the chest? Cough is one of the earliest symptoms in lung diseases to appear and the last to disappear, even when treated. If it is very hard to cough, your doctor will help you with some medicine to loosen up the phlegm (mucolytics). Simple pain medication or local heat with pain balms may help the pain over the rib. Hope you get well soon. Thanks a ton for using healthcaremagic.com