@catmom777 Coughing up blood in your phlegm is a symptom of pneumonia which will also cause shortness of breath and a rapid heartbeat. I sent my dad to the emergency room when this happened many times and he would be treated with antibiotics. If this is happening to you, it would be best to have it checked out. Your doctor is the best resource on this, and coughing up blood is not normal, so you should consult your doctor. Allergies cause a lot of phlegm too, and I've had trouble with that, but I made changes with my air filter at home so it blows right on me at night and it helped a lot. This made a huge difference for me because my cats were triggering my asthma. We can coexist now, and I can breathe because of the precautions I'm taking. We are most vulnerable at night because it traps phlegm since we are not moving around. If you also have allergies, getting them under control will help your heart.