Blood in the urine may be a symptom of a serious illness. When you see such a picture, it is important not to be scared or panic. The most rational solution would be to go to the doctor. It is also important to understand what caused it. Doctors call this phenomenon hematuria. What does an ordinary person need to know about blood in urine and what are the guidelines for action?
Blood in the urine indicates serious disorders in the genitourinary system. These may be inflammatory processes, ulcers, and kidney problems. To correctly diagnose the pathology, it is necessary to undergo tests and ultrasound examinations.
Where do traces of blood come from in women's urine?
Blood in the urine in women may appear due to kidney dysfunction, for example, pyelonephritis. This disease most often occurs in the female half of the population. Blood in the urine may appear due to the development of urethral cancer.
Sometimes women experience blood in their urine during menstruation. In this case, there is no reason to worry. But another reason may be advanced cervical erosion. If it is bleeding, then blood in the urine is understandable. Gynecologists say that taking oral contraceptives can also provoke this phenomenon. But these cases are quite rare. If all studies show that the condition of the urinary system is normal, then the cause of the appearance of blood in the urine may be gynecological pathologies. One of them is ovarian endometriosis.
A gynecologist during examination can only identify external causes. A detailed examination will reveal all hidden pathologies.
Where do traces of blood come from in men's urine?
Blood in the urine in men can indicate completely different ailments than in women. Blood may appear due to cystitis, which in turn developed against the background of pathogenic microflora that has entered the bladder.
Many men over 35 years of age suffer from prostatitis. Prostatitis is usually not characterized by the appearance of blood in the urine, but doctors say that this is quite possible. In order not to start the situation, you need to monitor the color of the discharge.
Kidney stones can also cause blood in the urine. Especially if they have become mobile. This is not the worst thing, but an examination by a doctor is necessary.
If a man is involved in sports or has recently been involved in a fight in which he was injured, then blood in the urine is a symptom of inflammation. Heavy and excessive physical activity should be avoided during treatment. If there is a strong load on the kidneys, then blood in the urine is a signal of the presence of disorders.
Men who suffer from hypertension may also find traces of blood in their urine. The large flow of blood to the renal vessels causes red blood cells to enter the urine. Sometimes the disease can be triggered by taking medications that thin the blood vessels. This is a side effect.
Men over 40 years of age are especially susceptible to urinary tract diseases. They should closely monitor their condition and remember to visit a urologist at least once a year.
Traces of blood in a child's urine
Parents should always monitor their child's urine status. Its color and the presence of blood will tell about possible deviations. Children are susceptible to colds. If a child has recently had a sore throat, he may develop nephritis. This, in turn, can cause blood in the urine.
In young children, blood in the urine can cause mechanical damage to the bladder. Excessive play and impacts can damage the urinary tract. There have been cases when a child could insert a foreign object into the urethra, and this caused bleeding.
Uric acid diathesis can also cause blood in the urine of a child. The salt will form crystals, which will damage the urinary tract when released.
What to do if there are traces of blood in a urine test?
After the doctor determines the true cause of the appearance of blood in the urine, he will prescribe treatment. For injuries, surgical intervention and drug therapy will be prescribed. If tumor formations are detected, the doctor will schedule a consultation with an oncologist. It would be advisable for a woman to visit a gynecologist, and for a man to visit a urologist.
If traces of blood in the urine are a symptom of an inflammatory process, antibiotic therapy will be prescribed. They will extinguish the source of inflammation.
Traces of blood in the urine can be scary. But, it is better not to give in to fear, but to follow a rational path. The main thing is to see a doctor in time and identify the cause of the unpleasant illness. If you ignore this phenomenon, you may miss an important point when everything can still be corrected with the help of simple medicinal manipulations. The body gives signals on time, but a person does not always respond to them and this leads to irreversible consequences.
Urine with blood means that serious disruptions are occurring in the body. This phenomenon is medically called hematuria. This pathological process develops due to the influence of various factors. Regardless of the cause of the problem, it requires urgent medical intervention. We will find out whether traces of blood in the urine always indicate danger and what are the sources of this process.
There can be blood in the urine for various reasons. It should be noted that hematuria is not always detectable with the naked eye. In some cases, the disease is detected only through a series of tests.
What to do if red impurities are detected in urine? First, you should understand that hematuria is a consequence of a disease of the genitourinary system. Therefore, you should definitely visit a doctor and undergo the necessary tests. Traces of blood in the urine of women are a reason to go for a consultation with a gynecologist, and for men – with a urologist.
Treatment will depend on the source. So, for cancerous tumors, the doctor will prescribe surgery and chemotherapy. For cystitis or urethritis, the doctor will insist on taking antibiotics. Surgical intervention will follow after identification of injury to the genitourinary organs.
To the question of what blood in urine means, we gave a detailed answer. As it turned out, the causes of the symptom can be dangerous diseases that require urgent treatment. Do not ignore the problem, but immediately go to the doctor.
Good health to you!
- this is the name for the presence of blood in your urine above the physiological norm- can indicate a variety of diseases, from a bladder infection to cancer. The color itself can vary from light pink to dark brown. Accordingly, go to the doctor immediately, even if you see blood in your urine for the first time. Delay may lead to complications of the disease and subsequent treatment.
Where does blood come from in urine?
- Injuries: for example, a blow to the kidneys, after which tissue ruptured.
- Infections: In the case of a bladder or prostate infection, bacteria in the urethra trigger a protective response from the immune system, which can lead to blood in the urine.
- Stones in the kidneys: they rub against the inner walls of your organs, causing bleeding.
- Cancer: Tumor cells in the bladder, kidneys or urethra can also damage healthy tissue, causing bleeding.
- Strenuous workouts: Excessively vigorous exercise, especially long-distance running, can also cause blood in the urine. Scientists have not yet specified the cause, but suggest that it is due to small tears in the bladder tissue.
What are the chances that I have something serious?
Sometimes the reddish color of urine does not indicate the presence of blood in it. Certain foods, such as beets and some berries, can change the color of your urine. But if you suspect that it is blood, go to the doctor. According to American scientists, 47% of people who find blood in their urine are diagnosed with kidney disease or a urological disease that requires treatment. 41% of them were diagnosed with bladder cancer.
Additional symptoms such as pain, fever or chills indicate an infection or kidney stones. And while the actual observation of blood in the urine indicates an increased risk of serious illness, its detection in a urine test may also indicate problems. This is called microhematuria and occurs in 18% of people who do not experience any symptoms. In the vast majority of cases, oncology has nothing to do with it. Still, it is better to take additional tests.
What tests need to be taken?
If you see blood in your urine, go to a urologist. First of all, a general urine test awaits you, after which the doctor may suggest a bacteriological analysis of urine for the presence of infections, as well as an ultrasound or CT examination for the presence of stones or tumors. It would also be a good idea to undergo a cystoscopy. - an unpleasant, but very informative study, during which an endoscope with an optical system is inserted into the urethra, which shows whether there is anything extra in your bladder like stones or formations.
Treatment depends on test results: antibiotics in case of infection, injections and painkillers in case of stones, and - we hope it doesn’t come to that- surgery, radiation or chemotherapy in the case of cancer.
Do I need to have my urine tested if there is no blood?
If you don't have any symptoms, there's little point in regularly testing your urine for cancer. Although early detection of cancer makes treatment more effective, urine testing has not been shown to be the most effective method, unlike blood testing for tumor markers. You should regularly take a urine test if you have a high risk of bladder cancer: you are over 50 years old, you smoke, there are cases of cancer in your family, and you come into contact with chemicals at work.
Doctors call the presence of blood in the urine hematuria. This symptom can accompany more than a hundred different diseases. Sometimes such a symptom is observed in relatively healthy people, but most often urination with blood warns that some pathological process is occurring in the body.
In the vast majority of cases, blood clots in the urine of men indicate the presence of a urological problem and are a reason for consultation with a medical specialist. It is necessary to consult a urologist regardless of whether the appearance of blood in the urine was a one-time occurrence or whether it was accompanied by any additional symptoms. Hematuria can be painless, but is usually characterized by pain of varying intensity.
Only a qualified doctor can determine why blood appears in a man’s urine, what this symptom means, what to do and how to treat it.
This symptom is classified into gross hematuria and microhematuria.
- With gross hematuria there is a lot of blood, its presence is noticeable without additional devices, for example, a microscope, clots or a change in the color of urine to pink, brown or red may be observed.
- In the second case, urine contains a small amount of blood; red blood cells are detected during laboratory tests.
In some cases, the red color of urine is not a consequence of the presence of blood in it. This can happen due to the consumption of foods containing a large amount of dyes, for example, beets. Some medications can also have this effect.
Beets can cause urine to turn red Possible causes of hematuria
When blood appears during urination in men, the reasons are mainly some pathology of the urinary or reproductive systems. However, this is not an axiom; such a symptom can also be a sign of other pathologies.
The most common causes of blood in the urine in men are:
- pathological changes in blood flow in areas of localization of inflammatory processes in the organs of the male urinary system;
- stones in ducts;
- glomerulonephritis;
- neoplasms and vascular disorders in the area of the circulatory system that feeds the kidneys;
- blood pathologies: leukemia, hemophilia, anemia;
- various injuries to the groin and lower back areas;
- the presence of a foreign body in the urethra, stenosis of the urethra or the development of an oncological process in it (in this case, painful urination is observed, and bleeding appears immediately).
Blood in the urine appears due to any concomitant pathologies. Inflammation of the prostate itself cannot provoke hematuria. However, an enlarged inflamed prostate gland can have a mechanical effect on neighboring organs and lead to the development of phenomena that can serve as a provoking factor for hematuria. With purulent prostatitis in men, blood vessels are sometimes damaged, which provokes the appearance of blood impurities in the urine.
Other reasons
Sometimes blood appears in a man’s urine due to severe physical overload. This is due to the fact that intensive formation of urine occurs in the kidneys, since all organs and systems function more actively.
In some cases, after visiting a steam room, men also observe blood in their urine. This occurs as a result of a strong increase in blood pressure.
Sometimes there is blood in the urine after certain medical procedures are performed if the lining of the urinary canal is damaged. For example, blood can come from the urethra in men during catheterization or careless collection of biological material. Finding a few drops of blood after medical procedures is not a reason to panic. 
The main symptom of prostatitis is an inflamed prostate
What does hematuria mean in combination with other manifestations?
Urine with blood in men, accompanied by acute intense pain in the right hypochondrium and feverish symptoms, may indicate the presence of stones in the ducts of the genitourinary system. As a result of the influence of certain provoking factors, the calculus begins to move, causing a traumatic effect on the tissue of the kidney and bladder. When the stone begins to descend down the urethra, it causes extremely painful sensations.
The disease is extremely dangerous and requires proper treatment. When a stone blocks the urinary ducts, it disrupts the flow of urine, which leads to the activation of infectious agents.
Blood coming out during urination in men may indicate inflammatory processes of various etiologies occurring in the kidneys. The organs of the genitourinary system are located in close proximity to each other, and diseases of some often become the causes of pathologies in others. Pyelonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) can be triggered by infectious agents that have entered the organ due to impaired blood flow. This, in turn, can occur as a result of a blockage of the kidney ducts by a stone or tumor. Pyelonephritis occurs with pain in the groin and lower back. The infectious process is accompanied by:
- increased temperature;
- chills;
- signs of general intoxication; urinating is very painful.
The appearance of blood during urination may indicate inflammation of the urethral mucosa. In such cases, symptoms include pain and burning during emptying of the bladder.
Blood in the urine of men without pain or other pathological manifestations may indicate the development of benign or malignant neoplasms in the organs of the genitourinary system. Quite often, at the beginning of the development of this process, no symptoms are observed. The organs of the excretory system are functioning normally, and my health is not disturbing. The only evidence of the development of pathology can be blood clots during urination in men.
The appearance of blood in the urine of men without pain sometimes occurs due to minor damage to the walls of the capillaries of the urethra due to blood pathologies associated with coagulation disorders. Also, such a symptom may indicate pathologies of the vessels feeding the renal parenchyma - thrombosis, stenosis, varicose veins.
Blood in urine with cystitis
In men it is quite a rare occurrence. This is more of a disease in women, since the male urethra is much shorter than the female, and bladder infection in men is less likely from an anatomical point of view. However, sometimes cystitis still occurs in men. And one of the manifestations of this disease is the presence of blood impurities in urine. Inflammation of the bladder in the male body can occur as a result of other diseases, for example, prostatitis, orchitis, urethritis.
In some cases, the causes of cystitis in men are:
- hypothermia;
- low level of immunity;
- failure to comply with hygiene measures;
- sexual infections;
- groin area injuries.
In addition to hematuria, cystitis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- frequent urination;
- pain and burning when emptying the bladder;
- change in urine characteristics: color, smell, consistency.
Cystitis of any etiology requires professional medical treatment.
Hematuria as a symptom of glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis is more often observed in elderly patients. Sometimes this disease is a consequence of a previous sore throat, in which case it is provoked by bacteria - streptococci. Inflammation of the renal glomeruli is accompanied by the development of edema and arterial hypertension. The disease is characterized by an increase in the permeability of the vascular walls, which leads to hematuria. The presence of blood in urine with glomerulonephritis is quite significant. Immediate treatment by a urologist is required.
Diagnostics
If blood clots, changes in color and other characteristics of urine are detected, a man should go to a urologist. A comprehensive examination is necessary to identify the provoking factor of this symptom.
- To isolate infectious agents and assess blood composition, a general blood test is performed.
- To determine the level of kidney function, a general urine test is prescribed.
- A urine test according to Nechiporenko and a daily urine collection are also carried out.
- If an infectious origin of the inflammatory process is suspected, bacteriological studies are carried out to determine the type and type of pathological agent.
- If a patient is diagnosed with urolithiasis, an x-ray of the ureter is prescribed to determine the location of the stone.
- A research method such as urography is also used.
- If vascular pathologies are suspected, angiography is performed.
Treatment of pathologies accompanied by hematuria
There is no specific treatment for hematuria. To prescribe therapy, it is necessary to determine what caused the alarming symptom.
- If hematuria is accompanied by painful urination, analgesics are prescribed.
- When inflammatory processes are detected in the organs of the genitourinary system, treatment is carried out using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Antibiotics are prescribed to suppress the activity of infectious agents.
They are prescribed exclusively by a doctor, since antibacterial and antiviral agents are used depending on the type of infectious agent.
May require surgical treatment if indicated. Malignant neoplasms are treated with radiation and chemotherapy, and surgery.
In any case, signs of blood in the urine are a reason for a comprehensive examination. After all, any disease is treated more successfully the earlier its presence in the body is detected. You should not rely on the foolish hope that “it will go away on its own” or use untested alternative methods of treatment. This can only cause harm and aggravate the course of the pathology. With lost time, the disease can significantly progress. But advanced diseases are much more difficult to treat, and they rarely occur without complications and the development of dangerous consequences. Therefore, if you notice the presence of blood in your urine, seek professional medical help.
Thank you
The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!
General information
Blood in urine in professional language it is called hematuria. If there is blood in the urine, its color changes due to the presence of red blood cells in the blood.Depending on the amount of blood, hematuria is divided into macrohematuria and microhematuria. In the first case, there is so much blood that it can be seen with the naked eye. In the second case, the amount of blood is negligible and it is detected only during laboratory testing or with the help of special disposable tests - strips.
According to the symptoms, hematuria can be painful or painless. And by origin, glomerular or post-glomerular.
In any case, the presence of blood in a urine sample is not normal.
Number doesn't mean anything
Any amount of blood in the urine can indicate very serious illness. Therefore, even if microscopic blood impurities are detected, a complete examination of the body is necessary. Moreover, the older a person is, the more likely it is to have serious illnesses.Causes of blood in urine
Blood can enter the urine from organs in the path of urine, that is, from the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. There are more than one and a half hundred different reasons for this phenomenon.The most common causes of hematuria:
- Infectious diseases,
- Neoplasms,
- Conglomerates.
1. Congenital anomalies: cysts or polycystic kidney disease.
2. Diseases that impair blood clotting: leukemia, hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, as well as taking drugs that impair blood clotting.
3. Vascular diseases: renal vein thrombosis, the presence of a blood clot in the renal vessels.
4. Other kidney diseases:
- Pyelonephritis. With this disease, the patient may not experience pain, but this is rare. Usually the first signs of pyelonephritis are chills, pain in the lower back,
- Glomerulonephritis. With glomerulonephritis, a microscopic amount of blood is released, which can only be detected in the laboratory. The disease can pass completely without any signs, symptoms of renal failure may be observed,
- Papillary necrosis. This disease is typical for patients with diabetes mellitus, with impaired oxygenation. The disease is treatable.
Infections
This is primarily tuberculosis of the kidneys or bladder, as well as purulent processes provoked by pyogenic microorganisms, cystitis, urethritis.After injury
Blood in the urine after injury can occur if the kidney is ruptured. Trauma can be either blunt or penetrating.The bladder can also be injured. For example, when running for a long time with an empty bladder, its walls can rub each other. After such a run, there may well be a slight presence of blood in the urine.
Such a patient should be examined immediately. Already during his examination and questioning, the doctor may suspect the source of the blood discharge. If the injury to the abdomen or pelvic area was very severe, and also if there was no urination after the injury, the doctor may suspect a rupture of the urinary organs.
If the perineum was injured in the “sitting on a horse” position, there is a possibility of injury to the urethral bulb.
If there is pain above the pubis, and the pain spreads throughout the abdomen, if the patient is nauseous, a ruptured bladder can be suspected.
If the upper abdomen hurts, there is a possibility of severe kidney injury.
For kidney or bladder stones
The most common cause of blood in the urine is urolithiasis. Salt crystals collect in the papillae of the kidneys, which subsequently “attract” more and more deposits to themselves.Most often, the patient is not aware of the presence of kidney stones, but laboratory tests can detect blood. Stones create favorable conditions for the development of infection, and also irritate the mucous membrane of the kidneys and ureters. Only very large stones block the ureters and cause acute pain called colic.
You can verify the presence or absence of stones in the urinary tract using excretory urography.
With urethral cancer, blood is observed not only in a urine test, but it can also be detected in the interval between urinations at the outer end of the urethra.
If the blood clots have the shape of worms, this is highly likely to indicate kidney cancer.
Not only malignant neoplasms lead to the appearance of blood in a urine test. Benign tumors can also cause it. However, they are very rare in the urinary organs. Most often these are kidney cysts.
Angiomyolipoma is a benign neoplasm, more often found in women during pregnancy. Its volumes can be very large, and in this case it can be manifested by the presence of blood in the urine. The entire tissue of angiomyolipoma is riddled with blood vessels and fat cells. The vessels often burst spontaneously, and blood enters the urine. This type of tumor can only be treated with surgery. It is removed without damaging healthy tissue.
Among women
The most common cause of blood in the urine in women is inflammatory processes in the urinary system. With such processes, blood circulation changes, infection leads to the fact that red blood cells penetrate the body tissues.Very often the presence of hematuria is explained cystitis
. During urination, a woman experiences acute pain, cutting or burning. The anatomical structure of the pelvic organs in women is such that favorable conditions are created for infection of the urinary organs. The short urethra makes it easy for infections to enter the bladder.
If hematuria is observed during menstruation, this indicates the presence of endometriosis of the bladder.
Pregnant women often have blood in their urine. But until now, not a single doctor can really explain what is the reason for this phenomenon. One explanation says that during fetal development, the uterus increases in size, compresses nearby urinary organs and causes microscopic injuries. They are absolutely harmless to the health of both mother and fetus. However, if blood is found in the urine during pregnancy, you should definitely visit a doctor as soon as possible.
The reasons for the appearance of blood in the urine of women can be diseases characteristic of both sexes, for example, urolithiasis, cysts, pyelonephritis, small cell anemia, kidney cancer, as well as completely physiological reasons. For example, during the collection of a urine test, menstrual blood got into it.
Sometimes when you take hormonal birth control pills, you may find some blood in your urine. This is due to the fact that the hormones contained in the tablets disrupt the condition of the walls of blood vessels in the urinary organs. Tissue trophism worsens, inflammation develops, which sometimes cannot be detected visually.
In men
The reason for the presence of blood in the urine of representatives of the stronger sex may be a disease of the prostate gland, which is usually not malignant.
With prostate adenoma or benign hyperplasia, there is a low probability of blood appearing in the urine. But more often this happens when adenoma and cystitis are combined in an acute form.
The disease is diagnosed by determining the level of urine outflow and the amount of residual urine in the bladder. Treatment is carried out promptly.
Very often, in men, blood is found in a urine sample after heavy physical exertion. Blood pressure increases, blood movement in the kidneys is activated, and under the influence of certain substances remaining in the body during heavy exercise, a small amount of blood enters the urine. A good rest - and there will be no more disturbing phenomena.
Prostate cancer
About 20% of patients who come to the clinic with obvious signs of blood in the urine turn out to be sick with this particular disease. If the amount of blood is so small that it is only detected by chance during a test, the probability of prostate cancer is 5%. This disease is detected using an ultrasound-guided biopsy. The treatment method is selected depending on the degree of the disease. Sometimes removal of the prostate followed by radiation is prescribed. If the disease is at a terminal stage of development, hormonal treatment is also added.
Inflammation of the prostate - prostatitis. The presence of blood in the urine is not the most common symptom of this disease. However, in some cases they are related.
The child has
Half of children examined for hematuria are diagnosed with glomerulonephritis. Other reasons:
- Hereditary predisposition to kidney diseases,
- Infection,
- Illiterate care of reproductive organs after birth,
- Injury to the urethra caused by the child himself during play.
A baby's blood vessels are thinner and more fragile than those of an adult. Therefore, some diseases can cause blood to enter the urine. This may be a hemorrhagic diathesis or another disease. Sometimes blood can get into the urine when being treated with certain strong drugs.
The most common cause of blood in a child’s urine is inflammatory processes in the kidneys or bladder. Girls are more predisposed to such diseases, since their urethra is shorter and the path for infection is smaller. With inflammation, the child will definitely complain of pain, urinate frequently, and cry while urinating.
Sometimes parents panic when they see their child's urine change color. But sometimes the red color does not mean the presence of blood. It may appear when consuming certain foods. If the child has not eaten anything brightly red, you should definitely and immediately visit a doctor.
During pregnancy
Blood can be detected during pregnancy at any stage of gestation. Moreover, such a symptom always makes both the woman and her doctors very nervous. Although in the overwhelming majority of cases this phenomenon is causeless ( idiopathic) and does not cause any trouble, the woman must be thoroughly examined.Doctors believe that the presence of blood in the urine during pregnancy can be associated with changes in hormonal levels, as well as compression of the urinary organs by the uterus.
Usually, immediately after the birth of the child, all disturbing symptoms disappear and only sometimes hematuria does not go away. But in this case, it is a symptom of a disease of the bladder, urethra or kidneys.
In older people
If hematuria is detected in an elderly member of the stronger sex, it may indicate the likelihood of a microbial process that develops when bladder function is impaired and urine outflow worsens. This is likely to happen with a malignant neoplasm of the prostate, urethral stricture, as well as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Therefore, it is important to identify signs of changes in urination: incomplete emptying of the bladder, weak stream, difficulties with urination.If hematuria in an elderly person is combined with pain in the iliac bones, this may indicate renal artery embolism. In such a patient, it is important to identify vascular and heart diseases, and also to find out whether he is taking medications for such diseases.
The appearance of hematuria after sex is a sign of cystitis
If blood in the urine is combined with pain and appears after copulation, the patient probably has postcoital cystitis. It develops against the background of inflammation caused by pathogenic microflora that penetrates the urinary organs during copulation. Next, the microorganisms rise up to the bladder.The structure of the urinary organs in women contributes to the development of postcoital cystitis. When the urethra is positioned in such a way that seminal fluid and vaginal mucus penetrate into it during copulation, infection of the genitourinary system and the development of inflammation in the urethra and bladder are likely. The position in which copulation takes place is very important. Since the vagina, urethra and anus are in close proximity to each other, the likelihood of infection increases.
Signs of postcoital cystitis can manifest themselves both from the first sexual experiences and at a later age.
Diagnosis is carried out by a urologist based on examination and laboratory tests.
Treatment of the disease is medication; in some cases, if it is ineffective, surgery is prescribed.
To prevent the development of postcoital cystitis, one should observe hygiene requirements, use barrier contraceptives, and also avoid the penetration of sperm and vaginal secretions into the urethra.
It's not always really blood
Often the color of urine is affected by food. Thus, eating red beets gives the urine an intense reddish tint. Some dyes added to food also cause urine to become colored.A number of medications can change the color of urine. For example, when treated for tuberculosis with rifampicin, the urine may turn orange; some patients believe that this is due to the presence of blood.
How to detect hematuria?
There are three methods for detecting blood in urine:- Organoleptic ( by eye),
- Using a rapid test,
- Using a microscope.
The mechanism of action of test strips for blood in urine is based on the reaction with hemoglobin of red blood cells. The tests are very sensitive. However, their results should be double-checked using laboratory tests.
These tests are more likely to produce false positives than false negatives.
How to detect the cause of hematuria?
There are many diagnostic methods for this:- Patient interview
- Inspecting it
- General urine analysis
- Bacterial urine analysis,
- Urine cytology,
- Intravenous urography,
- Ultrasound.
If blood is found in the first portion of urine, it means the urethra is affected.
If blood appears in the last portions of urine and is combined with pain, this indicates stones in the bladder, cystitis. With urolithiasis, blood is released if the walls of the bladder shrink around the stone during urine flow.
Sometimes all urine contains blood. And in this case, it is more difficult to establish the source of the blood.
If the presence of blood in the urine is combined with pain in the lower back or abdomen, there is a possibility of infectious inflammation, neoplasm or kidney stones. Cystitis often occurs with fairly heavy bleeding. With this disease, the patient suffers from burning or stinging when urinating.
The presence of blood in the form of clots in middle-aged patients most likely indicates the presence of a malignant tumor of the bladder. Representatives of the stronger sex have difficulties with urine excretion, for example, a sluggish stream, inhibition of urination and prolonged urination, which indicates a dysfunction of the prostate.
During the examination, women should definitely undergo a consultation with a gynecologist, and men should undergo a rectal examination. Sometimes this makes it possible to immediately identify a tumor.
In order to clarify the presence of blood in the urine and the reasons for it, you need to take an analysis, including bacterial flora.
If the patient has already had cancer, he will be prescribed cytology, which shows the composition of the cells present in the urine.
Visual examination of the urinary system
This examination is mandatory if there is blood in the urine, even in the smallest amount. Ultrasound or urography is usually used to examine the upper urinary system. To perform urography, an iodine-based contrast agent is infused intravenously. The device records the movement of the contrast agent through the urinary system. As a result, the doctor receives several x-rays showing different parts of the urinary system. This is the most widely used method for diagnosing the condition of the excretory organs and helps to detect stones and tumors in the upper parts of the urinary system.Instead of urography, ultrasound is sometimes used together with a plain radiograph. The great convenience of ultrasound is that this type of examination is completely harmless.
If the cause of blood in the urine is small tumors of the kidney parenchyma, then ultrasound will detect them faster than urography. But if the tumor appears in the drainage system of the kidneys, urography is more effective. The benefit of any of these measures directly depends on the qualifications of the doctor. But in any case, urography and ultrasound are complementary methods. Sometimes both examinations are prescribed.
If these examinations indicate the presence of a neoplasm, computed tomography is chosen as an additional method. CT is never used as the first method of examination for such symptoms.
But neither ultrasound nor urography will detect a tumor in the bladder. Cystoscopy is used for this. In case of hematuria, this examination is required.
What to do?
Most people will feel very anxious if they find blood in their urine. And rightly so. Under no circumstances should you try to diagnose and treat yourself. You need to make an appointment for a consultation as soon as possible urologist.In such cases, an ultrasound examination of the urinary organs, a general blood and urine test, blood sugar levels, and blood creatinine levels are usually prescribed.
Since to make a diagnosis it is important to understand from which part of the urinary system the blood enters, the doctor will interview the patient in detail and examine him.
Once the cause is determined, appropriate treatment will be prescribed:
- For injuries, this is drug therapy and, often, surgery,
- If there is a tumor in the kidneys, surgery is prescribed,
- For an autoimmune disease or infection, drug therapy is used,
- For urolithiasis, ultrasonic crushing or surgery is used,
- For bladder ailments, such as a tumor or polyp, surgical treatment is used,
- If the bladder is infected, antibiotic therapy is prescribed,
- If the urethra is infected, antibiotic therapy is prescribed,
- For diseases of the prostate gland, therapy using antibiotics is also prescribed, and in the future they usually resort to surgical treatment.