When you have blood in your urine, that can mean you have a severe illness that needs the treatment of a doctor.
In that case, your kidneys, or any other part of your urinary tract, let blood cells leak into your urine. There can be some reasons to have blood in your urine.
The presence of blood in the urine is called hematuria. The amount can be very small or detected only with urine tests or under a microscope.
In other cases, blood is visible. Often, turn the toilet water pink or red, or you may notice blood spots in the water after urinating.
The presence of blood in the urine (hematuria) gives it a pink, red or brown coloration depending on the amount of blood present, how long it has been and the degree of urine acidity.
A small amount of blood in the urine can be detected by chemical tests or microscopic examination to change its color (microscopic hematuria).
Microscopic hematuria may be an unexpected finding when doctors perform one urine test for another reason.
People with hematuria may have other symptoms such as flank pain or low back pain, low abdominal pain, compelling urge to urinate, or difficulty urinating, depending on the cause of blood in the urine.
If there is enough blood in the urine, a clot may form. The clot can completely block the flow of urine, causing sudden extreme pain and inability to urinate.
Bleeding severe enough to create a lump is usually caused by trauma to the urinary tract.
Causes
One of the most common reasons why you can have blood in your urine is a Urinary tract infection. This condition has a bacteria entering your body and starting to multiply in your bladder.
Symptoms of a Urinary tract infection is when you feel pain and burning when you are urinating, and a persistent urge to urinate.
The second reason why you can have blood in your urine is a kidney infection. The symptoms can be the same as a Urinary tract infection, but with a kidney infection, you will also have a mild fever and pain.
The third reason can be when you have a bladder or kidney stone. The symptoms of a bladder or kidney stone are easy; you will have excruciating pain in your lower abdominal area.
There are many potential causes for the presence of blood in the urine.
Bloody urine may be due to a problem in the kidneys or some other part of the urinary tract, such as:
- Cancer of the bladder or kidneys
- Infection of the bladder, kidneys, prostate or urethra
- Inflammation of the bladder, urethra, prostate, or kidney (glomerulonephritis)
- Injury to the kidney or bladder
- Kidney stones or stones in the bladder
- Kidney disease after streptococcal pharyngitis (post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis), a common cause of blood in the urine in children
- Renal insufficiency
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Recent procedure in the urinary tract, such as catheterization, circumcision, surgery or kidney biopsy
If there is no structural or anatomical problem with the kidneys, urinary tract, prostate or genitalia, the doctor can check to see if you have a bleeding disorder.
Causes may include:
- Bleeding disorders (such as hemophilia)
- A blood clot in the kidneys
- Anticoagulant medications, such as aspirin or warfarin
- Sickle-cell anemia
- Thrombocytopenia (low platelet count)
Blood that looks as if it were from the urine can come from other sources, such as:
- The vagina (in women)
- Ejaculation, often due to a prostate problem (in men)
- A deposition
Urine may also turn red following certain drugs, beets, or other foods.
When to Contact a Doctor
You may not see the blood in the urine because it is a small amount and is microscopic.
Your health care provider may find it when you check your urine during a routine examination. Never ignore blood in your urine.
Have your provider review it, especially if it also has:
- Discomfort when urinating
- Frequent urination
- Unexplained weight loss
- Urgent urination
Call your provider right away if:
- You have a fever, nausea, vomiting, chills or pain in the abdomen, side or back.
- Is unable to urinate.
- You are eliminating blood clots in the urine.
Also call if:
- You have pain during intercourse or heavy menstrual bleeding. Such discomfort may occur due to a problem with the reproductive system.
- Drowsiness, night-time urination, or difficulty in starting urine flow. Such can happen because of a prostate problem.
Diagnosis
Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions such as:
- When did you first notice that there was blood in the urine? Has the amount of urine increased or decreased?
- What is the color of the urine? Does your urine smell?
- Do you have any pain with urination or other symptoms of infection?
- Are you urinating more frequently or are urging urination more urgent?
- What medications are you taking?
- Have you had urinary or kidney problems in the past or have you had any recent injuries or surgery?
- Have you recently eaten foods that can cause a change in color, such as beets, blackberries or rhubarb?
Tests may include:
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Examination of antinuclear antibodies for lupus
- Blood creatinine level
- Complete blood count (CSC)
- CT scan of the abdomen
- Cystoscopy
- Kidney biopsy
- Streptococcal test
- Test for sickle cell anemia, bleeding problems, and other blood disorders
- Urine analysis
- Urinary cytology
- Agriculture
- 24-hour urine collection for creatinine, protein, and calcium
- Blood tests such as TP, TPT or RIN
- Treatment will depend on the cause of the blood in the urine.
Treatment for blood in your urine
The first thing that your doctor will do is determine the reason. Then he will decide on a treatment plan. You can’t treat the symptom of blood in your urine.
You should address the reason for having blood in your urine. Most of the time all that you need are antibiotics and other medication to treat the disease you might have.
It is essential to go to your doctor when you have blood in your urine. This matter isn’t something that you can treat on your own.
There are too many different reasons why you can have blood in your urine, and the symptoms are something not to play.