Although it is not always due to a severe illness, if a person has blood in the urine, they should go to the doctor as soon as possible to find out the origin and apply the most appropriate treatment.
However, please do not be scared since the causes can be very diverse, and most of them are mild and have an easy solution.
What Is Hematuria (Blood In The Urine)?
Hematuria is the medical term used for blood in the urine, which may be in greater or lesser quantity.
In itself, hematuria is not a disease but a symptom of another adjacent pathology or an alteration in the urinary tract. For this reason, depending on the cause, it may or may not be accompanied by other symptoms.
In any case, presenting urine tinged with blood requires a consultation with the doctor.
What Are The Symptoms Of Hematuria?
Although it may be thought that the primary warning sign is seeing red blood in the urine, this is not always the case, and this can create confusion in the affected person.
Urine that contains blood can appear in various colors, from a more rosy hue to a deep, pure red. But it can also have a dark brown color reminiscent of cola.
Instead, sometimes the blood is in such small amounts that the urine color is standard. In these cases, it is usually discovered when doing a urinalysis or a urine culture for some other reason. It is what is called microhematuria, but its study is also necessary.
If clots also appear, you cannot urinate or are accompanied by fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, or significant pain, you must immediately go to the emergency room.
What Causes The Presence Of Blood In The Urine?
This can be due to an infinity of both benign and malignant pathologies.
The most frequent are usually these:
- Bladder infection.
- Calculi (stones) in the kidney.
- Prostate diseases.
- Coagulation problems.
- Abdominal or lumbar trauma.
- Bladder or kidney tumors.
Other causes of hematuria
- Make a significant physical effort. After running a marathon, for example, blood can appear in the urine, even up to 48 hours after the race. This is due to the disproportionate impact on the red blood cells, which broke. It should always be studied to rule out another cause.
- Take some medications. Like allopurinol (for uric acid), antibiotics (penicillins), anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, diclofenac), etc.
- Eat certain foods. Although it is not blood, the urine can also be stained red due to ingestion of some foods such as beets or blackberries.
TREATMENT FOR BLOOD IN URINE?
As hematuria is not a disease but a symptom, the treatment will focus on the cause that has caused the presence of blood in the urine.
A urine sample will be analyzed to rule out false hematuria (coloration of the urine by food drugs) to make the diagnosis. This test can also confirm if it is a urinary infection.
The doctor may also order other tests, such as a blood test to check for changes in liver or kidney function, anemia, etc.; an abdominal x-ray; or an ultrasound to rule out bile duct obstruction or liver disease.
Treatment will vary depending on the diagnosis. For example, if a bladder infection is one of the most common causes of kidney stones, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
