Urine can be cloudy, dark, bloody, or foul-smelling if you have a kidney infection. The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive tract that helps make semen. An infection or inflammation of the prostate can cause blood in the urine, as can benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.
It’s useful for identifying tumors, stones, or terminal hematuria, where blood appears at the end of urination. A CT scan offers detailed images of the urinary tract, helping identify tumors, stones, or structural abnormalities and kidney function. Any changes or difficulties with urination should prompt a visit with a healthcare provider. If you notice blood in your urine, see a healthcare provider within a day or two.
What are clinical trials for hematuria?
Health care professionals treat hematuria by treating the underlying cause of the hematuria. You may not need treatment if there is no serious condition causing your hematuria. A false-positive rate is when the dipstick test says you have blood in your pee, but you don’t. Providers need to confirm dipstick hematuria with a microscopic urinalysis.
Bladder or Kidney Cancer
Timely and thorough investigation ensures proper management, reduces the risk of misdiagnosis, and enhances patient outcomes by preventing progression to severe health issues. This awareness is key to safeguarding health and ensuring comprehensive care. Understanding the relationship between hematuria and these cancers elevates its importance as a potential indicator of serious health issues. Hematuria, or blood in the urine, can sometimes serve as an early warning sign of urological cancers, such as bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers. In these cases, the presence of blood may indicate a more serious underlying condition beyond infection.
The inflammation leads to glomerulonephritis which is usually due to a problem with your body’s immune system. Glomerulonephritis is the most common cause of blood in the urine of children and young adults. See the separate leaflet called Glomerulonephritis for more information. This usually occurs when there is a problem with your bladder or kidneys. You may notice other symptoms when you have blood in your urine.
- Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine, either visible (gross) or microscopic.
- It can be caused by minor issues like intense exercise or mild infections.
- Risk increases with age, certain medications, strenuous exercise, and chronic health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
- Microscopic hematuria affects an estimated 2% to 31% of people.
- Thomas Smith, M.D., is a urologic surgeon specializing in treating cancer and other conditions of the urinary tract and reproductive system.
Therefore, any amount of blood detected through a urine test is considered hematuria, and a medical evaluation is warranted. They may also recommend additional tests to help confirm a hematuria diagnosis. Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells in urine, which can cause a pink, red, or cola-colored tint. It may not always be visible, and the causes can vary from minor infections to more serious underlying health issues. The term « what is hematuria » frequently arises when people first notice discolored urine or receive abnormal lab results.
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Seek immediate medical attention if you experience pain so severe that you can’t sit still or find a comfortable position, as well as nausea and vomiting or fever and chills. Blood can certainly turn your urine a sanguine color, but so can some foods. When your pee has a reddish hue, and you know it’s not from eating beets, rhubarbs, or food coloring, here are some other possible causes. The causes of hematuria ranges from benign causes to more complicated and serious ones. All of them should not be ignored and must be medically evaluated.
What tests will be done to diagnose hematuria?
But you may not even know it because it doesn’t always turn your pee pink or red. Sometimes, there’s only a small amount of blood in your pee that you can’t see — healthcare providers discover it during a urine test. Blood in your urine (pee), called hematuria doesn’t always mean that you have kidney disease, but it may mean that something is wrong with your kidneys or your urinary tract.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction – When Muscle Control Impacts Urination and Sexual Health
Important aspects of the patient’s history include the duration of hematuria, pain assessment, frequency of urination, and any prior episodes. Gathering information on any medications, family history, or recent physical activities can also offer crucial insights. Any visible blood in the urine (gross hematuria) is concerning and warrants medical evaluation. Even microscopic hematuria, detected only by urinalysis, requires investigation. Peeing blood, or gross hematuria, can indicate a serious underlying condition and should be considered an urgent medical concern, though not always a life-threatening emergency.
A cystoscopy allows the doctor to fully examine your bladder and its lining. Both tests should be done to properly diagnose the condition causing blood in your urine. Health care professionals use your medical history, a physical exam, and urinalysis to diagnose hematuria and help find the cause. As part of the physical exam, your health care professional may perform a digital rectal exam if you’re a man, or a pelvic exam if you’re a woman. This is particularly useful if the hematuria’s source isn’t identified through imaging or if bladder-related issues are suspected. Several risk factors increase the likelihood of developing hematuria.
- Prostate cancer rarely causes hematuria directly, but it can occur if the cancer grows significantly or invades the bladder or urethra.
- The initial evaluation includes a urine dipstick test, which is a simple and quick tool to detect red blood cells in the urine.
- Women should wipe from front to back after using the toilet.
- By following this structured diagnosis strategy, healthcare providers can pinpoint the underlying cause of hematuria, ensuring appropriate and targeted treatment.
Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine, either visible (gross) or microscopic. When you see blood in your child’s urine, it’s time to call the doctor. Cleveland Clinic’s pediatric hematuria experts are here to help. But untreated hematuria can lead to bigger problems, especially if the cause is serious.
You may not have suspected it, but recent sexual activity can cause blood in your urine. At myhematology.com, we are passionate about educating the next generation of medical and allied health professionals. Our mission is to provide comprehensive resources in hematology, hematopathology blood in urine hematuria symptoms and causes and hematology oncology to students. Hematuria, while a symptom itself, can lead to various complications depending on the underlying cause and the severity of the bleeding.
Why Are These Red Flags?
When an enlarged prostate causes blood in your pee and medications don’t treat it, a healthcare provider may suggest surgery. There are many different types of surgery to remove prostate tissue and stop prostate bleeding. The swelling can cause small blood vessels on the prostate’s surface to bleed, especially when straining to urinate.
The importance of distinguishing the underlying cause of hematuria cannot be overstated, as it may be a symptom of kidney stones, trauma, or even cancer. Other potential causes include certain types of glomerulonephritis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men, or even certain medications. While less common, some kidney stones or infections can also cause painless hematuria. Therefore, even without pain, any instance of blood in urine requires prompt medical evaluation to determine the cause and initiate appropriate treatment. It’s crucial not to overlook hematuria, as it could signify potentially severe health issues beyond infections and stones.
These diseases can cause bleeding due to tumor growth interfering with normal tissue and blood vessel function. Hematuria, or blood in the urine, is a significant diagnostic marker that underscores its multifaceted nature. Its presence demands thorough evaluation, not only to confirm the immediate cause but to uncover any underlying conditions that could pose long-term health risks. This diagnostic importance emphasizes the need for a proactive approach—encouraging individuals to seek medical evaluation promptly.
