what illness causes coughing up blood
While coughing up blood isnât a symptom to be ignored, most causes arenât serious. When a person has a respiratory illness or strong cough, this can irritate the airways and potentially cause coughing up blood. Examples of common and highly treatable causes of coughing up blood include: 1  irritation of the throat from excessive coughing â this is in many cases attributable to irritation from smoking cigarettes. 2  bronchitis.  chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which can include chronic bronchitis or emphysema.