Blood in Urine

Blood in Urine Blood in urine or Hematuria">Hematuria, is not a good sign as it can be a symptom of a dangerous disease or disorder. Whenever you see blood in urine, it becomes necessary to ascertain its cause. Hematuria is of two main types: microscopic hematuria and gross hematuria. Microscopic hematuria is one in which the blood in urine cannot be seen without the use of a microscope and is discovered only after conducting a medical test. Gross hematuria on the other hand is one in which the urinary blood can be seen without the aid of a microscope.

Hematuria that results from strenuous exercise does not require any medical treatment and it will disappear in a few days. However, other disorders causing blood in urine may require extensive medical care depending on the severity of the disorder.

What Are the Accompanying Symptoms of Blood in Urine?


There are many other symptoms that may be experienced by sufferers of urinary bleeding depending on the disorder that is causing it. The symptoms that might follow blood in urine include:

• Back pain


• Weight Loss


• Urgency in urination


• Pain felt when urinating


• Having to visit the bathroom for passing urine multiple time during the night


• Incontinence

Besides these common symptoms, there are other serious indications as well which include:

• Appearance of Blood Clots in the urine


• Fever


• Nausea


• Vomiting


• Fatigue


• Increased pulse


• Abdominal pain


• Chills


• Inability to pass urine


• Disorientation.

When to See a Doctor
You must visit a doctor if you are having difficulty urinating or are suffering from pain in your Kidneys or abdomen since it may be a symptom of microscopic hematuria. It is also essential to seek immediate medical care if you witness blood in your urine as it can be an indication of a serious medical problem. Failing to notice even a little quantity of urinary blood could be catastrophic.

Look for immediate medical assistance if you are unable to urinate or are witnessing blood clots in your urine. Visit a hospital right away if this urinary blood is followed by chills, fever, vomiting, nausea and abdominal, back or side pain.

The ramifications for neglecting urinary blood can be very severe. Your kidneys might fail if the hematuria is stemming from an infection that is not treated in time. There is also a chance that the cause of this blood is a Cancer and if it is not diagnosed and treated in time, the cancer might metastasize and spread to other parts of the body.

What Are the Causes & Risk Factors of Blood in Urine?
Hematuria can result from a number of causes. There is a chance that the blood visible is stemming from a source other than your bladder or kidney. The blood that you are seeing might be coming from the bowel movement, vagina or ejaculation. The following are some of the causes of urinary bleeding.

Causes	Description
Infections	Urinary tract and kidney infections can both cause hematuria. In both these infections, the bacteria get in the body through the urethra and target the bladder and the kidneys respectively. The symptom of urinary tract infections is pain felt when urinating while that of kidney infection is back and abdominal pain accompanied by high grade fever.
Stone	Kidney or bladder stones can cause both gross and microscopic hematuria and can cause unbearable pain for the patients.
Prostate problem	Enlargement of the prostate or a prostate infection can result in microscopic hematuria. The symptoms are urgency and pain felt when urinating.
Kidney disease	Kidney disease can occur due to a number of reasons and is of the most common causes of microscopic hematuria.
Cancer	Cancers of the kidney, prostate and bladder might cause urinary bleeding at an advanced stage.
Inherited disorders	Alport syndrome and Sickle Cell Anemia which are both hereditary disorders can cause both gross and microscopic hematuria.
Kidney injury	Gross hematuria can be caused due to an injury or trauma suffered by the kidneys during an accident.
Medication	Constant use of drugs like heparin, cyclophosphamide, penicillin and aspirin can cause gross hematuria.
Strenuous exercise	Having an intense workout can sometimes cause gross hematuria due to Dehydration.

What Are the Treatments for Blood in Urine?
Treatment for blood in urine depends on its cause and is directed towards eliminating it. Once the treatment has been administered, the doctor is likely to check if the problem has been dealt with or not. If he still finds urinary bleeding then the doctor might refer you to an urologist or ask for additional tests to be performed on your urine.

For people whose underlying cause for urinary bleeding cannot be detected even after performing the necessary tests, the doctor might advise regular checkup and urine testing. The need for urine testing and monitoring of Blood Pressure becomes particularly necessary for people who are more than 50 years old, who are regular smokers or who have been exposed to hazardous chemicals as they are at an increased risk of developing bladder cancer.

What Are the Preventions for Blood in Urine?
It is impossible to stop the appearance of blood in urine. However, you can take precautionary steps to minimize the chances of contracting diseases that cause hematuria.

• Infections. Increasing your daily intake of water, urinating immediately after intercourse, proper cleaning of the genitals after peeing and stop using hygiene products for women that can cause irritation will keep you safe from urinary tract and kidney infections.


• Stones. Drinking healthy amounts of water and reducing the use of salt and foods like rhubarb and spinach which are rich in oxalate and proteins can reduce your chances of having Kidney Stones.


• Bladder cancer. Increasing your intake of water, quitting smoking and avoiding contact with hazardous chemicals can help you in remaining safer from developing bladder cancer.


• Kidney cancer. You can reduce your risk of developing Kidney Cancer by quitting smoking, consuming a healthy and balanced diet, doing regular exercise and staying away from toxic materials and chemicals.

Blood in Urine

Blood in Urine






Bloody discharge in urine is medically called Hematuria and will definitely cause anxiety for every person. But not many of us know that getting blood in urine can be due to strenuous exercise and even taking drugs like aspirin. There exist two types of hematuria. The first one is visible hematuria in which one can see bloody discharge and the second one is not visible to the naked eye and can be seen only under a microscope. It can be detected by simply testing the urine. Treatment of blood in urine depends on the causes.

Symptoms :

Hematuria can be recognized by the visible change in color of urine. It will be almost dark pink or red in color which is due to red blood cells. Many times, blood in urine is expelled without any other symptoms. However in few cases, there may be Blood Clots in urine which is painful.

If you find any red coloration in urine you can consult your doctor. However without any other symptoms, blood in urine is harmless and not a cause for concern.

Causes :

Some medications and certain foods like berries and beets can cause change in color of normal urine. Urinary Tract Infection can cause these changes and the affected person may have additional symptoms of burning sensation and foul smelling urine.

Pyelonephritis (kidney infection) is a condition in which bacteria finds its way to the kidneys and move into the bloodstream and further into the urethra and passes through the urine. People having such infection may get fever and flank pain apart from blood in urine. Similarly kidney disease may cause inflammation of the filters present in the kidneys which can cause blood in urine.

Stones in kidney when expelled through urine may cause significant pain and the urine often gets interrupted. It can cause hematuria that is detected only in the microscope.

When the prostate glands become enlarged it will put pressure on the urethra thus blocking the normal flow of urine. During this condition blood in urine is discharged and can be found while studying in a microscope.

Advanced stages of Prostate Cancer or bladder cancer will produce blood in urine. But it cannot be recognized in early stages due to non-availability of symptoms. Sickle Cell Anemia and certain medications like aspirin and penicillin can cause blood in urine.

Any injury or trauma to the bladder and dehydration of RBC during exercises can produce bloody discharge in urine.

Who are at risk?

People who are old, women with frequent urinary tract infection and people with family history of hematuria are under the risk of getting this problem. Intake of aspirin and frequent usage of antibiotics will also increase the risk.

People who have undergone kidney transplant and undergoing treatment for kidney infection may have blood in urine.

Diagnoses :

Your doctor will first examine your body physically and may do urine testing to detect the presence of blood in urine. If required, CT scan or cystoscopy is done for examining the condition of bladder.

Treatment :

Blood in urine does not need any medications and it is enough if the underlying factor is identified and treated. Your doctor will rule out the possibility of cancer and suggest remedies or alternative medicine for preventing blood in urine.

Prevention :

Drink at least 8 glasses of water or other fluids. Do not suppress the urge to urinate and it is necessary to pass urine after having sex. Take steps to prevent urinary tract infection and avoid smoking and drinking.