Why Is There Blood In My Urine
Theres no doubt: Seeing blood in your urine can be scary! This condition, called hematuria, is fairly common and has many possible causes. If medical intervention is required, the treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the condition.
Gross hematuria describes blood in the urine you can see with the naked eye. Microscopic hematuria, on the other hand, describes blood in the urine only visible under a microscope. Both types of hematuria should be investigated to understand their root cause.
At Urological Associates in Charlottesville, Virginia, our team of providers is dedicated to helping the men and women of Central Virginia feel their best and experience optimal urological health. As part of our comprehensive line of urological services, we specialize in diagnosing and treating the many causes of hematuria.
Our team of experts has curated this guide to help you understand the common causes of blood in the urine and when you should seek help.
Injury To The Kidneys
Glomeruli are tiny structures within the kidneys that help filter and clean the blood. Glomerulonephritis is the term for a group of diseases that can injure these structures.
In people with GN, the injured kidneys are unable to remove waste and excess fluid from the body. Without treatment, GN can lead to kidney failure.
Chronic GN often occurs in young men who also have hearing and vision loss.
Acute GN comes on suddenly and may cause the following symptoms:
- facial puffiness in the morning
- blood in the urine
Diagnosis Of Blood Clots In Urine
A medical expert will order specific tests to determine the cause of the blood clot in the urine. The series of examination procedures may include urinalysis and intravenous pyelogram .
Moreover, cystoscopic examination may be performed which involves the use of a tiny camera in viewing the urethra to detect possible tumors in the urethra. Kidney x-ray may also be used in order to detect kidney abnormalities in patients especially when other tests cannot provide reliable findings.
There are other various tests like urine culture, abdominal ultrasound, and MRI, also helpful in identifying the condition of internal organs. See signs of internal bleeding.
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Scheduling Appointments For Blood In Urine Treatment At New York Urology Specialists
We have excellent reviews from patients and their partners. Information for out-of-state and international patients. Find out our office hours or directions to our office.
We offer affordable appointment prices with or without insurance. Same-day virtual video appointments and in-person appointments are available.
Dr. Shteynshlyuger MD is a board-certified urologist in NYC who specializes in treating urinary problems in men and women. He has performed hundreds of bladder, kidney, vaginal, and prostate surgeries.
What Causes Small Blood Clots In Urine
Urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and prostate problems are common causes of small blood clots, which can sometimes look like coffee grounds. If you notice blood clots in your urine even small ones you should contact your doctor. Larger blood clots can block the flow of urine and cause discomfort, and theyre often a sign of a medical emergency.
If you notice different shapes of blood clots in your urine, such as a wormlike form, it may be a sign that you are experiencing bleeding from the urethra or prostate. If the clots are painful, they might be coming from the tubes that connect your kidneys to your bladder, known as ureters.
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Blood Clots In Urine Can Be Due To General Blood Disorders
Blood disorders are considerably common causes of blood clots in urine. Medical cases such as hemophilia as well as other clotting disorders , and low or high platelet count, can result to clots in the urine. Read about platelet count and normal platelet count range.
Blood clots in the urine substantially associated with cancer of the bladder, in most cases, the individual is an elderly or a cigarette smoker. The patient may sometimes notice blood clots in urine with no other noticeable symptoms. Even so, the individual needs medical attention.
Blood In Urine Experienced As Symptom Of Prostate Cancer
Depending on the stage of the disease, patients with prostate cancer may experience symptoms related to urinary problems, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate frequently , erectile dysfunction, pain in the hips, back, chest, or other areas from cancer that has spread to bones, weakness or numbness in the legs or feet. Blood in the urine or semen also is a symptom.
Blood in urine is known as hematuria, and it can be related to a number of conditions, often not severe or consequential. But in the case of prostate cancer, it usually occurs in advanced stages of the disease and it should not be ignored. Instead of the normal pale yellow color of the urine, men may note it is pink, red, brownish-red, or tea-colored. In some cases, it may not be seen with naked eye, but the presence of red blood cells in urine can be detected in the lab.
Blood in urine is associated with damage to the kidneys, where urine is created, or to a problem in another part of the urinary tract, including the ureters , the bladder , or the urethra . The tumor may press one of these structures, while blood in urine also may be a side effect of radiation therapy. Reporting blood in urine to a doctor may help readjust the treatment and improve patients quality of life.
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Eating Diet And Nutrition
Researchers have not found that eating, diet, and nutrition play a role in causing or preventing prostatitis. During treatment of bacterial prostatitis, urologists may recommend increasing intake of liquids and avoiding or reducing intake of substances that irritate the bladder. Men should talk with a health care provider or dietitian about what diet is right for them.
What Tests Find Causes For Blood In The Urine
Your urologist will likely examine your upper urinary tract using a scan with dye that gives images from your kidneys to your bladder. This can check for stones, tumors or other abnormalities.
He or she will check the lower urinary tract with a scope that looks at the bladder, prostate and urethra. Your doctor also may perform other tests, such as a test for prostate cancer, as needed.
Sometimes doctors find that hematuria shows up in routine testing. A sample taken during an annual physical may find blood that isnt visible. When this happens, your doctor will send the sample to a lab to check for red blood cells.
Dr. Abouassaly stresses the importance of getting in to see your physician if you see even a trace of blood in your urine.
Cancers can bleed just one time and not again, he says. If you have doubts, a quick visit to your primary care provider can sort it out.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia may include
- urinary frequencyurination eight or more times a day
- urinary urgencythe inability to delay urination
- trouble starting a urine stream
- a weak or an interrupted urine stream
- dribbling at the end of urination
- nocturiafrequent urination during periods of sleep
- urinary incontinencethe accidental loss of urine
- pain after ejaculation or during urination
- urine that has an unusual color or smell
Symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia most often come from
- a blocked urethra
- a bladder that is overworked from trying to pass urine through the blockage
The size of the prostate does not always determine the severity of the blockage or symptoms. Some men with greatly enlarged prostates have little blockage and few symptoms, while other men who have minimally enlarged prostates have greater blockage and more symptoms. Less than half of all men with benign prostatic hyperplasia have lower urinary tract symptoms.3
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Things You Probably Dont Know About Blood Tests
To determine the cause of blood in urine, your doctor will usually begin by discussing your medical history with you. They may ask if youve had any recent infections or have a family history of hematuria. You can prepare for your appointment by making a few notes about the color and odor of your urine, as well as how frequently youve been urinating and whether you experience any pain while urinating. You may want to take a photo of your discolored urine on your mobile phone that you can show to your doctor during your appointment.
Your doctor may also perform a number of tests. A urinalysis can detect microscopic hematuria and also test for a urinary tract infection or kidney stones. If a urinalysis does not determine the cause, your doctor may also perform a CT scan, an MRI, or an ultrasound. They may also want to examine the bladder and urethra via cystoscopy, where a tube with a camera attached is inserted into your bladder. Additional tests may include:
- Antinuclear antibody test
- Blood chemistry tests
- 24-hour urine collection
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Mayo Clinic Q And A: Blood In Urine Should Not Be Ignored
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What could be causing a small amount of blood to show up in urine? I am in my 70s.
ANSWER: Blood in the urine hematuria can be alarming. Although some causes of hematuria can be serious, others are fairly harmless and may clear up with little or no treatment. Either way, it definitely should be evaluated by a health care provider.
Blood in the urine thats clearly visible is called gross hematuria. Blood in the urine that isnt clearly visible is called microscopic hematuria. With gross hematuria, urine may be red or pink, or similar in color to cola, tea or rust. Gross hematuria often occurs without other symptoms. It takes little blood to discolor urine, so youre probably not losing as much blood as it may appear. However, heavier bleeding that involves passing blood clots is an urgent issue that can be painful and puts you at risk of having a blocked bladder outlet and inability to pass urine.
The first step is to determine if the discoloration is blood. Urine can become discolored in other ways, such as by blood proteins from eating beets or taking certain medications, including some used to treat urinary tract infections. Occasionally, vaginal bleeding can be mistaken for hematuria and vice versa. Hematuria in older adults nearly always indicates the need for an evaluation to determine the cause of bleeding.
When Should I Call My Doctor
You should call your doctor if you have:
- No urine flows into your collection bag over a period of four hours and your catheter is not kinked
- No urine flows into your bag over a couple of hours, and you feel like your bladder is full
You should also call your doctor if you have:
- A fever over 101° F or chills
- Pain or a burning sensation in your urethra, bladder, abdomen, or lower back
- Bladder spasms
- Blood, mucus, pus, or foul smelling drainage around your catheter
- Urine leaking around your catheter
- Soreness at the tip of your penis that isnt better after using plain KY jelly
- Urine that becomes cloudy or foul smelling
- Urine that has mucus, red specks, or blood in it. Urine with blood in it may appear pink or red
- Any symptoms that you are concerned about
- Any other warning signs mentioned by your doctor or health care team
If you have any of these signs talk to your doctor or health care team. There are medicines and treatments that can help you feel better. It is important that you talk to your doctor or health care team about any side effects you may have during or after your treatment. Your health care team can help treat these problems.
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When To Seek Medical Advice
While you’re recovering, you should contact the hospital clinic or your GP if you develop:
- a high temperature of 38C or above
- severe pain while urinating
- an inability to urinate
- persistently severe or worsening blood in your urine
These symptoms can be a sign of a problem such as internal bleeding or a urinary infection that needs to be treated.
Page last reviewed: 31 May 2018 Next review due: 31 May 2021
So You Have Some Blood In Your Urine
Seeing blood in your urine can be an extremely dramatic and frightening experience that, unfortunately, many people will experience in their lifetime. Blood in the urine, or hematuria, is one of the most common reasons someone will seek the care of a urologist. While it can be scary and seem like youre losing a lot of blood, its important to remember that just a little drop of blood can make a lot of urine look red, just like a small drop of food coloring will turn an entire glass of water any color you like.
In general, there are two ways to classify hematuria, microscopic and gross. Microscopic hematuria means that the blood cant be seen with your own eyes. Oftentimes, your primary care doctor will mention to you that blood was seen on your urine sample. That is called microscopic hematuria. Gross hematuria is more obvious and is when your urine is red in color or you can see blood clots. Both types of hematuria should be evaluated by a trained professional and should not be ignored, even if the bleeding goes away.
In this blog, we will talk about a few of the common causes of hematuria, how your doctor will determine why this is happening, and some treatment options for the various causes.
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Can You Always Detect Blood In Your Urine
Hematuria is the presence of excessive blood in your urine. When blood in the urine is visible to the naked eye, its called macroscopic hematuria. On the other hand, sometimes blood in urine isnt visible and is detected only in a laboratory examination when urine tests positive for the presence of blood. In such cases, its called invisible, microscopic, or non-visible hematuria.
In certain cases, the presence of blood in urine may not produce any symptoms. Thats why its important to have regular exams, so that you dont miss it.
Finding Blood In Your Urine Can Be A Stressful Experience Heres Why It Happens And What You Should Do
There are many different reasons why this happens, but its important not to panic.
Finding blood in your urine does not automatically signal a life-threatening disease, but normally, healthy urine should not contain any detectable amounts of blood. Its important to contact your general practitioner if you notice bright red blood in your urine or if your urine has turned red or brown because it has blood in it.
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Other Tests May Include:
Cystoscopy. This is a procedure a urologist performs to see inside the bladder and urethra . The doctor uses a thin tube with a camera and light on the endâcalled a cystoscopeâto look for cancer cells or other problems.Kidney imaging tests. The doctor may order an imaging test such as ultrasound, CT scan or MRI to look for a tumor, a kidney or bladder stone, an enlarged prostate or other problem.
Your doctor may order one more urine test to look for signs of infection, kidney disease and cancer. You may have a blood test to check for high levels of the protein creatinine, a sign of kidney disease.
In many cases, the doctor is not able to find out why there is blood in the urine, Dr. Smith notes. He or she may decide to retest your urine in a year. If blood is found, you may undergo more tests. Or you may be retested several years later.
Is Blood In Urine Coming From Someplace Else
The blood could also be coming from someplace other than your urinary tract, she says. “For women, when you see red in urine, it could also be from your period or a part of your reproductive system,” Dr. Bakare explains.
How can you tell? Check to see if you are spotting at other times, she says. If you are, this may be why you see red in your urine. “Get checked out by a gynecologist,” says Dr. Bakare.
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When Should I Seek Medical Attention
Since some of the causes of blood in the urine are serious, you should seek medical attention the first time you see it. You shouldnt ignore even a small amount of blood in your urine.
Also see your healthcare provider if you dont see blood in your urine but experience frequent, difficult, or painful urination, abdominal pain, or kidney pain. These may all be indications of microscopic hematuria.
Seek emergency help if you cant urinate, see blood clots when you urinate, or have blood in your urine along with one or more of the following:
- nausea
Bladder And Kidney Stones
Kidney and bladder stones are one of the most common causes of blood clots in urine. The stones are mostly painless, meaning you wont know until they grow bigger and cause blockage or are being passed in your urinary system. Minerals in concentrated urine form crystals on the walls of your kidneys or bladder. In time, these deposits made of minerals and salt turn into stones. They can affect any part of the urinary tract, from kidneys to bladder. The stones occur mostly when the urine is concentrated.
The good news is that there is no way to mistake the symptoms. Kidney stones cause excruciating pain, one that is hard to stomach and bear. Bladder and kidney stones can cause both gross and microscopic bleeding.
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