What Causes Productive Cough In An Elderly Woman?

Posted on Thu, 4 Aug 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 4 Aug 2016 Answered on

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi
My mom is 87 now. She has had bad allergies since she was young. She coughs up a quite a bit of phlem sp?). A couple of times lately it has had some blood in it. What could it be?

Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
See a doctor

Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
Coughing up blood is always a concerning symptom.
It can be something benign like bronchitis or something more serious like an infection or tumor.
In any case she needs to see a doctor and get an exam, some tests and probably a chest xray done in order to determine the cause.
Only by finding the cause can she get the right treatment.
Thank you for watching out for her. Please get her to a doctor right away.
I wish you and your mom the best.
Dr. Robinson

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar