Patient's question:
Hello:Thank you.
I have coughed up blood four times during my menstrual period. I have been to the hospital and seen both the otolaryngology and internal medicine departments. Chest X-rays were taken, and they all said there were no abnormalities. The internal medicine doctor suggested that I might have a broken blood vessel and gave me an IV drip. After that, I still coughed up blood when my period came. Here’s what happened specifically:
Doctor's answer:
Some young girls experience nosebleeds or vomiting blood a day or two before their menstrual period or during menstruation, which seems to be caused by the menstrual blood flowing in reverse. Therefore, it is referred to as "reversed menstruation" or "upward menstruation." Over time, this can lead to irregular menstrual cycles or anemia in young girls.Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that reversed menstruation is primarily due to blood heat and qi inversion, where the menstrual blood does not flow downward along the Chong Mai (Conception Vessel) but instead overflows upward. The reason for the blood heat and qi inversion is often related to factors such as liver channel stagnation-heat, lung and kidney yin deficiency, and others. For example, if a person is naturally irritable, prone to suppressing emotions, or has liver qi stagnation and disrupted qi flow, leading to internal liver fire, or if they are constitutionally weak with yin deficiency and further suffer from unresolved stress, excessive overthinking, or excessive consumption of spicy foods like pepper and ginger, the accumulated internal heat can damage the blood, causing it to flow in reverse. When menstruation approaches or begins, internal heat forces the menstrual blood to flow upward, resulting in reversed menstruation.