Blood in the urine or hematuria often occurs as a symptom of illness and can have a variety of causes. Not infrequently, however, blood in the urine also occurs after heavy physical exertion. In this case, the symptoms are usually harmless and not pathological. However, since blood in the urine often occurs in kidney and urinary tract diseases, a doctor should always be consulted to initiate appropriate treatment.
What is blood in urine?
Since blood in the urine often occurs in kidney and urinary tract diseases, a doctor should always be consulted to initiate appropriate treatment. Blood in the urine is also called hematuria. It is quite possible to find blood in the urine. This can be due to extreme physical stress caused by sports or situations in daily life, such as lifting heavy boxes. Blood in urine can also occur when one eats the wrong food or when food tends to have red dye in the urine. The latter, however, is not blood but a natural red dye, such as after eating beet. However, if the blood in the urine occurs more frequently, then a pathological cause is definitely decisive, which should be clarified.
Causes
Having blood in the urine can include various causes. It can sometimes be a bladder infection or kidney inflammation. Urinary tract infections and urethritis can also be the culprits of blood in the urine. But not only that, because the renal pelvic inflammations also provide blood in the urine, as well as bladder and kidney stones or tumors. One should never underestimate blood in urine. Medications or vascular diseases such as thrombosis, radiation or chemotherapy also contribute to the presence of blood in the urine, but not necessarily. One should not overestimate it, but also not neglect it. An additional visit to the family doctor often helps to reduce doubts and misunderstandings. Conclusion: blood in the urine must definitely be thoroughly examined.
Diseases with this symptom
- Diabetes mellitus
- Ureteral stone
- Bladder stones
- Urethritis
- Kidney cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Renal pelvic inflammation
- Cystitis
- Cystic kidneys
- Renal infarction
- Hypertension
- Bilharzia
Complications
Blood in the urine always indicates a serious disease of the kidneys and urinary tract. Although there may also be blood in the urine after vigorous physical exertion, this is rather rare and not disease-related. In any case, however, a urologist should be consulted so that he can accurately diagnose the cause and initiate the appropriate treatment. However, blood in the urine can also occur as a result of poor nutrition, and in some cases it is not blood at all, but a red pigment that is present in beetroot, for example. However, if blood in the urine occurs more frequently, the cause should definitely be investigated. Anything from a bladder infection to kidney cancer can be the cause. Blood in the urine should never be underestimated. Blood in the urine can also occur as a result of certain medications, and this phenomenon is often observed during chemotherapy. Blood in the urine must be taken seriously, but you should not panic. A visit to the family doctor provides clarity, a detailed examination is called for. Blood in the urine should always be examined by a doctor, even if the symptoms are not extremely bad. The doctor will first clarify whether there is pain when urinating, what the diet is like and whether something like this has already occurred in the family. Of course, blood pressure and temperature will also be taken. With a urine sample, the doctor can quickly see whether perhaps kidney stones trigger blood in the urine and whether there is an inflammation of the urinary tract or kidneys.
When should you go to the doctor?
Not every red discoloration of the urine is synonymous with traces of blood in the urine and accordingly due to a serious disease. Often, discoloration is also caused by certain foods (including beet) or medications (including anthraquinone derivatives). If this can be ruled out, blood in the urine (hematuria) should always be clarified by a doctor – even if there is no additional pain or discomfort. In particular, painless hematuria is considered suspicious until cancer can be ruled out.In addition, it is advantageous for the diagnosis and clarification of the clinical picture if the necessary urine and blood tests can be performed during the bleeding phase. A visit to the doctor should be considered urgent if additional symptoms such as burning and pain during urination, frequent urination with small amounts of urine (polliacisuria), pus in the urine, pulling or stabbing abdominal or back pain, colic, flank pain as well as a general feeling of illness, chills and fever occur. Even if cystitis is present, a doctor should be consulted if the urine is red in color. If traces of blood are found in the urine in connection with cystitis, this is usually a sign of a disease of the bladder or kidneys.
Treatment and therapy
In the case of blood in the urine, a doctor should always be consulted in any case, even if it should not seem so extreme at first. The doctor will ask some questions about diet, pain and frequency of occurrence. He will also ask about the genetic predisposition, if there is a family history of blood in the urine. The temperature will be taken and the blood pressure. The doctor will palpate the abdomen and flanks to determine if the blood in the urine could be coming from this location. He will take a urine sample to microscopically determine if there is blood in the urine and how much, and he will perform an ultrasound examination on the patient. Here it can be seen relatively clearly whether there could be a disease in the renal pelvis area, whether the bladder and ureter are involved, or even whether kidney stones could be the cause of the blood in the urine. However, in order to accurately diagnose the causes of blood in the urine, further testing is needed, such as an X-ray or MRI. Cystoscopies and tissue samples are also part of the diagnostic process for an accurate disease analysis. Blood in the urine must be examined closely by laboratory tests.
Outlook and prognosis
If blood appears in the urine, a doctor should be consulted in any case. In many cases, it is only a harmless infection that can be treated relatively well. However, the dark coloration of the urine can primarily cause panic in the patient. Often, in addition to the blood in the urine, there is also a burning pain during urination. In these cases, the patient suffers from inflammation of the urinary bladder or urethra. These inflammations can usually be treated quickly with the help of medication, so there are no further problems here. Often there is also pain in the abdomen and lower abdomen, which can severely limit everyday life. In rare cases, blood in the urine indicates a bladder stone or a urinary stone. In this case, the affected person also experiences extremely severe pain at rest. In this case, treatment is only possible to a limited extent, and often the patient must wait until the stone comes out during urination.
Prevention
Blood in the urine is almost always a symptom of disease. Antibiotics, shock wave therapies or surgery are the most commonly prescribed treatments. However, preventive measures should already be taken to avoid getting into this situation of blood in the urine. You can check your urine regularly with a test strip, which you can get in any pharmacy. Of course, one cannot make a statement about whether the blood in the urine contains a disease process. Even beet can change the urine and it is not easy for a layman to recognize. However, for this purpose there are well-founded doctors who can help in testing blood in urine. Blood in the urine must be urgently clarified, no matter how large or small the extent.
This is what you can do yourself
Blood in the urine is almost always a cause for concern and indicates a serious illness. The only time a complication need not be assumed is when the urine briefly turns bloody after great physical exertion. In these cases, the patient should refrain from strenuous physical activity and sport for a few days. Further measures are usually not necessary. Sometimes the reddish discoloration is not due to blood but to another substance. Especially after eating beetroot, a reddish discoloration of the urine is not a sign of a health disorder. Sufferers who feel irritated can adjust their diet and avoid foods with a strong red coloration.However, blood in the urine can also be due to taking certain medications. Especially during chemotherapy, this side effect occurs not infrequently. In this case, no self-help measures are possible. As a rule, however, blood in the urine indicates complications in connection with a bladder or kidney condition. If the blood in the urine is accompanied by stabbing pain as well as nausea and vomiting, kidney stones may have led to renal colic. Blood in the urine may also indicate a worsening bladder infection. In these cases, patients should follow the attending physician’s prescription. They can also contribute to recovery themselves by bed rest and a hot water bottle on the lower abdomen. In severe forms affecting the entire urinary tract, there is regularly a bloody discoloration of the urine. The symptom also regularly induces complications related to an enlarged prostate. In addition, complications of bladder cancer treatment can be causative for blood in urine. In these cases, self-therapy should be refrained from and all measures should be discussed with the treating physician.
