uk Health & medical scares

What to do if…
you cough up blood or see blood in your mucus

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: 9 May 2026 Last reviewed: 17 July 2026 Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

If you cough up more than a few spots or streaks of blood, or you have breathlessness, chest or upper back pain, or a very fast heartbeat, call 999 or go to A&E immediately. If it is only a few small streaks and you otherwise feel stable, seek urgent same-day advice from your GP surgery or your local NHS urgent-help route.

Do not do these things

Do not drive yourself to A&E if you feel faint, breathless, confused, very unwell, or the bleeding is more than a few streaks.
Do not ignore new blood in phlegm because it might be irritation from coughing.
Do not take extra aspirin, ibuprofen, or other medicines for chest discomfort unless a clinician has told you to.
Do not stop prescribed medicines, including blood thinners, without urgent clinical advice.
Do not do hard exercise, heavy lifting, smoking, vaping, or anything that makes you cough harder right now.
Do not force repeated deep coughing to check whether more blood appears.

What to do now

Check for emergency signs now. Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if you are coughing up more than just a few spots or streaks of blood, coughing up clots, bleeding keeps happening, finding it hard to breathe, have a very fast heartbeat, or have pain in your chest or upper back.
Sit upright and lean slightly forward. Spit blood or mucus into a tissue, bowl, or bag so you can see roughly how much there is, but do not try to make yourself cough more.
Check whether the blood may be coming from your nose, gums, mouth, or throat. If blood seems to be coming from vomiting, or it looks dark, grainy, or like coffee grounds, treat it as urgent and call 999 or go to A&E if you feel unwell or are unsure.
If it is only a few spots or streaks and you otherwise feel stable, contact your GP surgery for an urgent same-day appointment. If you cannot get through, use your local NHS urgent-help route: call 111 where available, use 111 online in England, or use the NHS urgent-care service for where you are.
Tell the clinician or urgent-help service: when it started, roughly how much blood there is, whether it is bright red, pink and frothy, rust coloured, or clotted, whether you have chest pain, breathlessness, fever, faintness, or a fast heartbeat, and whether you take blood thinners.
If you are going to A&E or urgent assessment, ask someone else to take you if possible. Bring your medication list or the medicines themselves, especially blood thinners, inhalers, and recent antibiotics.

What can wait

You do not need to work out the cause right now.
You do not need to search for worst-case explanations.
You do not need to decide now about tests, scans, referrals, or treatment.
You do not need to finish work, chores, or errands before getting urgent advice.

Important reassurance

Seeing blood when you cough can feel alarming. Small streaks can happen with coughing or infection, but new blood in phlegm still needs prompt medical advice so the urgent causes can be ruled out.

Scope note

These are first steps to help you stay safe and get the right level of urgent care. Later decisions about tests, treatment, medicines, or follow-up may need a doctor or another qualified clinician.

Important note

This is general information, not medical advice, diagnosis, or a substitute for urgent clinical assessment. If you are unsure whether this is an emergency, call 999 or use your local NHS urgent-help route now.

Additional Resources

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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