All you need to know about blood in urine

Blood in urine is often not a major cause for concern. However, it can be pointing towards a serious medical condition. Therefore, medical attention should be sought immediately. More often that not, blood in urine indicates some issues with the functioning of your kidneys or some other region of your urinary tract. Medically, this condition is known as hematuria. There are two types of hematuria, which are gross and microscopic.

Where does the blood in urine come from?

• Blood in urine usually comes from kidneys, the organ that creates urine.
• It can also come from the other areas of the urinary tract such, as the ureters, which is the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder.
• The bleeding can also originate in the bladders, the organs in our body that store the urine.
• Blood in urine can also come from the urethra.

What are some symptoms that accompany hematuria?

• If there is blood in urine, then instead of the regular yellow color, the urine is slightly pink, red, brownish-red, or tea-colored. This condition is medically termed as gross hematuria.
• The blood in urine may not be visible to the naked eye and the urine will be tinged yellow. However, it can be seen under a microscope. This condition is referred to as microscopic hematuria.
• Hematuria can be the cause for bladder infections. In adults, bladder infection is characterized by burning or pain while urinating. Infants, who suffer from bladder infection, might have a fever, sleep problems, and not eat properly.

Who is more likely to suffer from hematuria?

• Hematuria is most common in people who have a history of kidney diseases. If someone in your family has suffered from a kidney disease in the past, they are more likely to contract hematuria.
• In the case of men, hematuria is mostly seen in those who have a large prostate.
• If you have a history or tendency of getting kidney stones, you are most likely to suffer from hematuria.
• If you are taking medicines such as blood thinners, pain relievers, and antibiotics, you are at a higher risk of hematuria.
• If you have had a bodily infection recently, the chances of you getting traces of blood in urine increase considerably.

What causes hematuria?

• Some common causes of hematuria are menstruation in women, strenuous exercise, sexual activity, contracting a viral disease, some injury in the pubic region, and suffering from an infection such as the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
• Hematuria can be caused by certain serious problems as well such as kidney or bladder cancer, swelling in kidney, or in the case of men, swelling of the prostrate. Other causes include Polycystic kidney disease, blood clots, or other diseases that infect the kidney.

How should you start the treatment for blood in urine?

• Blood in urine can be a result of a serious health issue. Therefore, it is not prudent to ignore it.
• Unless it is from menstruation or recent sexual activity, or an injury that you might have incurred, it is always better to consult a doctor as soon as possible. An early diagnosis helps in pinpointing an exact cause and offers better cure.
• If you find traces of blood in your urine because of an infection, then antibiotics will be prescribed to you.
• To determine the cause of the problem, the doctor will most likely ask for your urine sample to run some tests.
• After the tests, your results will be analyzed, and then the doctor will determine the cause of your problem and decide what steps need to be taken further.

It is always important to consult a doctor immediately once you start noticing blood in your urine. Mostly, it is a result of a normal infection, but it could also be indicative of a serious disease.