Blood In The Urine? Here’s What You Need To Know
Haematuria is the medical term for blood in the urine, which can be caused by a number of factors. Blood in the urine can indicate a severe health concern, even if there are just a few traces or a single occurrence, and ignoring it can worsen serious illnesses including cancer and kidney disease.
The presence of red blood cells causes gross haematuria, resulting in pink, red, or cola-coloured urine. Although the bleeding is usually painless and without symptoms, passing blood clots in the urine might be painful.
Causes Of Urine In Blood
Haematuria can be caused by a variety of illnesses and diseases like infections, kidney illness, cancer, and uncommon blood problems are among them. Intake of certain medications, such as laxatives, or specific foods, like beets, rhubarb, or berries, are other reasons for a dark/ different coloured urine.
Stones: Crystals formed in the urine as a result of the minerals in it, might cause large stones to produce a blockage, leading to haematuria and severe pain.
Enlarged prostate: An enlarged prostate, pressing down on the urethra is a common cause of haematuria in middle-aged and older men.
Kidney disease: Although a less prevalent cause, Haematuria can be caused by a damaged or irritated kidney and can arise on its own or in conjunction with another illness, such as diabetes. It can also be caused by the kidney condition post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis in children aged 6 to 10.
Cancer: Blood in the urine can be caused by advanced cancer of the bladder, kidney, or prostate. It’s possible that there aren’t any early warning signals of a problem.
If one notices blood in their urine, seek medical attention right away.
Risk Factors Of Blood In The Urine
Red blood cells can be abnormally found in the urine of almost everybody, including children and teenagers. This is more likely due to the following factors:
Age: Because of an enlarged prostate gland, many men over the age of 50 get haematuria on occasion.
Recent infections: One of the most common causes of visible urine blood in children is kidney inflammation following viral or bacterial infection (post-infectious glomerulonephritis).
Family History: If one has a family history of kidney illness or kidney stones, they might be more susceptible to urine bleeding.
Medications: Urinary bleeding is known to be increased by aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications, and antibiotics like penicillin.
Exercises: Exercise-induced urine bleeding is more common in long-distance runners, commonly referred to as jogger’s haematuria.
Diagnosis
The tests and exams listed below are important in determining the reason for blood in your urine:
- A physical examination will be performed, along with a discussion of one’s medical history.
- Urine tests: Even if the bleeding was identified by naked eyes, one will almost certainly need another test to verify if the urine still contains red blood cells. A urinalysis can also detect a urinary tract infection or minerals that can cause kidney stones.
- Imaging tests: Finding the source of haematuria frequently necessitates an imaging test. A CT or MRI scan, as well as an ultrasound examination, may be recommended.
Treatment
Depending on the cause, treatment for haematuria may include medicines to cure a urinary tract infection, prescription medication to decrease an enlarged prostate, or shock wave therapy to break up bladder or kidney stones, whereas certain circumstances don’t necessitate any treatment at all.
Preventive Measures
Preventing haematuria entails addressing the root causes:
- To avoid infections, drink plenty of water every day, urinate right after sexual contact, and keep your hands clean.
- Avoid smoking
- Minimize toxin exposure
(The article is contributed by Dr Prem Kumar, Consultant – Urology, Uro-oncology, Andrology, Transplant & Robotic Surgery, Fortis Hospitals, Rajajinagar)
