If there is blood in urine, diagnosing the cause and treatment options should become a priority. The sooner you discover the cause, treatment can begin. It may be a simple infection or it could be something more serious. Don’t wait if you suspect or see blood in your urine.
Hematuria
Hematuria is the name given to the presence of blood in the urine. It can be microscopic and only visible through a microscope, whereas gross hematuria is visible to the naked eye. Gross hematuria can look pale pink to bright red or have small visible clots.
Common Causes Of Blood In the Urine
There are various causes and conditions of hematuria, some more serious than others.
Urinary Tract Infections
A UTI is a very common cause of blood in the urine.
Symptoms include urinating frequently, pressure in the pelvis or back, pain in abdomen, side, or lower back, and burning while peeing. It’s recognizable and easy to treat with antibiotics.
Kidney Infection
Characterized by chills, fever, and pain in your lower back.
Bladder Or Kidney Stones
Severe pain in the abdomen or pelvis is a major symptom.
Kidney Cancer
Characterized by weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, and pain on the side.
Other causes of blood in the urine include the following:
Dehydration
Vigorous exercise
Enlarged prostate
Blood thinners
Kidney injury from an accident or sports
Diagnosing Hematuria
Island Men’s Health will first run a urine test to look for any signs of infection. Next, they may do a cytology where your urine is studied under a microscope.
The next step would be a CT Scan to look for the source of the blood. It may discover kidney or bladder stones, tumors, or cancer. Contrast material may be needed to highlight certain areas.
This may be followed by a kidney ultrasound.
The next test is a cystoscopy. Here, a small camera is inserted into the bladder. Although it is a quick test, it may be slightly uncomfortable.
How Blood In The Urine Is Treated
Depending on the specific cause of the blood, treatment options vary. It be anything from antibiotics, medications for passing stones, shockwaves and lasers to break up stones, to cancer treatments and surgery.
The first important step is to find the source of the blood in the urine.
If you, or someone you know, has discovered blood in the urine, contact Dr. David L. Peters at (516) 758-8600 as soon as possible to uncover the source and start treatment.