Reasons Why There May Be Blood In Your Urine
Hematuria is the medical term for blood in urine. Its fairly common and affects up to 30% of the adult population. The volume of blood in urine ranges from microscopic, meaning
Blood can appear in the urine in microscopic amounts which would only be seen by medical instruments, or it may appear to cause a pinkish discoloration in the urine . So it is possible to get hematuria and not even know it, and it can happen for a variety of reasons.
To get both a proper diagnosis and treatment for a condition like hematuria you will want a skilled and capable medical team. Drs. Craig Herman, Steven Kester and the staff at the Urology Center of Florida have been serving the Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Greater South Florida areas for decades and have the expertise and experience to give quality treatment for hematuria and other urological needs.
Other Tests May Include:
Cystoscopy. This is a procedure a urologist performs to see inside the bladder and urethra . The doctor uses a thin tube with a camera and light on the end–called a cystoscope–to look for cancer cells or other problems.Kidney imaging tests. The doctor may order an imaging test such as ultrasound, CT scan or MRI to look for a tumor, a kidney or bladder stone, an enlarged prostate or other problem.
Your doctor may order one more urine test to look for signs of infection, kidney disease and cancer. You may have a blood test to check for high levels of the protein creatinine, a sign of kidney disease.
In many cases, the doctor is not able to find out why there is blood in the urine, Dr. Smith notes. He or she may decide to retest your urine in a year. If blood is found, you may undergo more tests. Or you may be retested several years later.
Pain With Urination And Vaginal Bleeding
- Medical Author: Dan Brennan, MD
Last Editorial Review: 6/15/2020
These symptoms may indicate the presence of a urinary tract infection or a gynecologic process. To make a diagnosis, your doctor may need to run tests on a urine sample, do a gynecologic exam, or order a diagnostic test such as an ultrasound.
While the list below can be considered as a guide to educate yourself about these conditions, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms and signs. Here are a number of those from MedicineNet:
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What Treatments Are Available
Treatment depends on whats causing the pain.
Antibiotics may be used to treat bacterial prostatitis, UTIs and certain STIs. Your physician may also prescribe medicine to calm your bladder irritation. Medicines that are used to treat interstitial cystitis include elmiron, tricyclic antidepressants, and acetaminophen with codeine.
Pain while urinating that is caused as result of bacterial infection usually gets better quickly after you begin taking antibiotics. Always follow the instructions of your doctor while taking medicine for best results.
Some tips to prevent pain while urinating are:
How Is Back Pain While Urinating Treated
Your treatment will be dependent on your diagnosis. For instance, if the reason behind your lower back pain when urinating is a UTI, you will need to take medication to resolve the UTI. On the other hand, if the cause of the discomfort is a tumor, abscess, or kidney stones, surgery could be necessary.
For alleviating back pain specifically, therapeutic options might include:
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Pain and frequent urination are making it hard to go about your day
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How Is Blood In Urine Diagnosed
Your doctor will talk to you and will examine you.
They will ask for a urine sample for urine tests, and may ask for a blood test.
A urine test involves checking your urine to see what it contains. White blood cells in the urine usually indicate infection. Red blood cells in the urine may indicate infection, kidney disease, a blood disorder or other conditions such as a tumour.
Further possible tests include:
- an ultrasound or CT scan of the kidneys, ureters and bladder
- a cystoscopy, in which a specialist looks into the bladder with a flexible camera
Inflammation In The Kidney
There are various conditions which can lead to inflammation in your kidneys. These can then result in blood in your urine, which is usually only found when a dipstick test of your urine is performed. This inflammation of the kidneys is called glomerulonephritis. Other symptoms such as tiredness and swelling around your eyes and legs can also sometimes occur.
The inflammation leads to glomerulonephritis which is usually due to a problem with your body’s immune system. This can sometimes be triggered by an infection. Glomerulonephritis is the most common cause of blood in the urine of children and young adults. However, it can occur in people of any age. See the separate leaflet called Glomerulonephritis for more information.
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What Are The Complications Associated With Hematuria
Some of the causes of blood in the urine are serious, so you should contact your healthcare provider if you notice this symptom.
If the symptom is due to cancer, ignoring it can lead to an advancement of the tumors to the point that treatment is difficult. Untreated infections can ultimately lead to kidney failure.
Treatment can help reduce symptoms if the cause of hematuria is an enlarged prostate. Ignoring it may lead to discomfort from needing to urinate frequently, severe pain, and even cancer.
Is Bleeding Normal With A Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection is a very common infection. It can occur anywhere in your urinary tract, which includes your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Most UTIs are caused by bacteria and affect the bladder and urethra.
When your urinary tract is infected, it can be painful to pee. You might feel a persistent urge to urinate, even after youve gone to the bathroom. Your pee might look cloudy and smell unusual, too.
A UTI can also cause bloody urine, which is also called hematuria. But once your infection is treated, bleeding from a UTI should go away.
In this article, well discuss how UTIs cause bleeding, along with other symptoms and treatment.
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Blood In The Urine In Men
Welcome to our Guide for men who have noticed blood in their urine.
The medical term for blood in the urine is hematuria. Urine that contains blood can appear pink, red, maroon, or even have a dark smoky color that looks like cola. You may or may not see blood clots, which can look like coffee grounds. Rarely, red urine may be caused by certain foods or medicine. Your doctor will want to test a sample of your urine to confirm that its red color is caused by blood.
Urinary tract infections, kidney stones and prostate problems are common reasons for this symptom. Less commonly, blood in the urine can indicate a more serious condition.
All men who experience blood in the urine as a new problem should see their doctor. Even if youâve had blood in the urine in the past, contact your doctor again.
This guide is intended to provide helpful information while you are awaiting further evaluation, or add to what you may have already learned after your visit with a doctor. Please keep in mind that this information cannot replace a face-to-face evaluation with your own health care provider.
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Differences In Males And Females
Males and females can both experience pain when urinating, and the causes may be anatomy-dependent.
For example, females have shorter urethras than males. As a result, bacteria can often enter the bladder more easily, which can lead to UTIs.
A person can talk to their doctor about their risks for painful urination based on their sex as well as their medical history.
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Vaginal Infection Or Irritation
Also known as vaginitis or vaginosis, a vaginal infection can occur due to the overgrowth of bacteria or yeast.
An STI called trichomoniasis can also cause a vaginal infection.
Additional symptoms
The following symptoms may occur alongside painful urination:
- foul-smelling or unusual vaginal discharge
- vaginal irritation
- vaginal bleeding, which is usually mild
When Should I Seek Medical Attention
Since some of the causes of blood in the urine are serious, you should seek medical attention the first time you see it. You shouldnt ignore even a small amount of blood in your urine.
Also see your healthcare provider if you dont see blood in your urine but experience frequent, difficult, or painful urination, abdominal pain, or kidney pain. These may all be indications of microscopic hematuria.
Seek emergency help if you cant urinate, see blood clots when you urinate, or have blood in your urine along with one or more of the following:
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Her Burning Hands Were Dismissed As Carpal Tunnel
At first, doctors dismissed Lampkin’s new hand pains as carpal tunnel.
“I knew that I didn’t have carpal tunnel,” she said. “Carpal tunnel affects millions of people there’s no way people function like this.”
After more than a handful of unsuccessful doctor’s visits over the course of a few weeks, Lampkin once again woke up in excruciating, burning hand pain.
That day, “I went in screaming, crying, more out of frustration” to get providers to take her concerns seriously, she said. “I had to remember the pain that I’d been in.”
That’s when clinicians started a weeklong barrage of tests and bloodwork. First, they discovered Lampkin’s kidneys were near failure.
“I was like, ‘What? I’m not here for my kidneys,'” Lampkin said. “‘I’m here for my hands and my tongue.'”
After several more days of tests, Lampkin’s doctors went back to the toilet for answers, the same place where her worries began. She collected all her urine for a 24-hour period, and that’s how doctors finally discovered that the protein that had been in her toilet for years was now a cancerous Bence-Jones protein, a hallmark sign of the blood cancer called multiple myeloma. She was 41.
Looking back, Lampkin says the signs of her disease were all “stuff that I believe most people would overlook, would not really pay that much attention to.”
“Too bad that my doctor didn’t either,” she said.
What Are The Causes Of Blood In Urine
There are many causes of blood in your urine, including:
- An infection, such as a UTI or virus
Anyone can have blood in their urine, but it is more likely if you:
- Have a family history of kidney disease
- Have an enlarged prostate
- Have a history of kidney stones
- Are taking certain medicines, such as pain relievers, blood thinners and antibiotics
- Have or recently had certain types of infections
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What Are The Causes Of Dysuria
There are many causes of dysuria. Also know that doctors cant always identify the cause.
WOMEN: Painful urination for women can be the result of:
- Bladder infection .
- Endometritis and other causes outside the urinary tract, including diverticulosis and diverticulitis.
- Inflammation of the bladder or urethra . Inflammation is usually caused by an infection.
The inflammation may also be caused by sexual intercourse, douches, soaps, scented toilet paper, contraceptive sponges or spermicides.
Normal female anatomy
MEN: Painful urination for men may be the result of:
- Urinary tract infection and other infections outside the urinary tract, including diverticulosis and diverticulitis.
- Prostate disease.
Normal male anatomy
Painful urination for men and women may be the result of a sexually transmitted infections or the side effect of medications. Chemotherapy cancer drugs or radiation treatments to the pelvic area may inflame the bladder and cause painful urination.
How Is The Cause Of Hematuria Diagnosed
If youre seeing your doctor for hematuria, theyll ask you about the amount of blood and when you see it during urination. Theyll want to know how often you urinate, any pain youre experiencing, if you see blood clots, and what medications youre taking.
Your doctor will then give you a physical examination and collect a sample of your urine for testing. The analysis of your urine can confirm the presence of blood and detect bacteria if an infection is the cause.
Your doctor may order imaging tests such as a CT scan, which uses radiation to create an image of your body.
Another possible test your doctor may want to do is a cystoscopy. This involves using a small tube to send a camera up your urethra and into your bladder. With the camera, your doctor can examine the interior of your bladder and urethra to determine the cause of your hematuria.
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Interstitial Cystitis/painful Bladder Syndrome
Interstitial cystitis, also referred to as bladder pain syndrome, is a chronic condition that causes painful urinary symptoms. It affects mostly women, according to the . The cause of the condition is currently unknown, but certain factors may trigger symptoms, such as infections, physical or emotional stress, diet, bladder injury, or certain medications.
Symptoms of interstitial cystitis
The symptoms can range from mild to severe and vary from person to person. Symptoms can include:
- urinalysis to check for infection
- cystoscopy to view the lining of your bladder
- urinary function tests
- potassium sensitivity test
Your doctor may also perform other tests to help rule out cancer as the cause of your symptoms, such as a biopsy, which is usually performed during cystoscopy or urine cytology to check for cancer cells in your urine.
Treatments for interstitial cystitis
There is no one specific treatment for interstitial cystitis. Your doctor will recommend treatments for your individual symptoms, which may include:
Medicine For Painful Urination
Since most of the time, pain when urinating is caused by infections, the usual treatment is antibiotics. Your provider may start you on a broad-spectrum antibiotic after doing a urine culture and then, depending on the lab results, prescribe a more specific antibiotic.
You may take over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen to help with the pain until the antibiotics start working. If you are diagnosed with a kidney stone, you may be prescribed narcotic pain medication to relieve pain as the stone passes.
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Kidney And Bladder Stones
If the blood contains too little liquid and too much waste, the waste products can bind with chemicals in the urine, forming hard stones in the kidneys or bladder.
Often, the stones are small enough to pass through urination. Larger stones may remain in the kidney or bladder or get stuck elsewhere in the urinary tract.
Larger stones generally cause more noticeable symptoms, such as:
- blood in the urine
- cloudy or strong-smelling urine
What To Expect At Your Office Visit
Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions such as:
- When did you first notice blood in your urine? Has the amount of your urine increased or decreased?
- What is the color of your urine? Does your urine have an odor?
- Do you have any pain with urination or other symptoms of infection?
- Are you urinating more often, or is the need to urinate more urgent?
- What medicines are you taking?
- Have you had urinary or kidney problems in the past, or recently had surgery or an injury?
- Have you recently eaten foods that may cause a change in color, like beets, berries, or rhubarb?
Tests that may be done include:
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What Is The Urinary Tract
The urinary tract is the bodys drainage system for removing wastes and extra fluid. The urinary tract includes
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. Every day, the kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine, composed of wastes and extra fluid. Children produce less urine than adults. The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The bladder stores urine until releasing it through urination. When the bladder empties, urine flows out of the body through a tube called the urethra at the bottom of the bladder.
Anne Heche Didnt Repay A Loan Before She Died Now An Ex Wants Her Estate To Pay Up
Actor Thomas Jane, who was romantically linked to Anne Heche in the years before her death, says her estate owes him nearly $150,000 for an unpaid loan.
Heches death was ruled accidental by the L.A. County coroner, who determined the actor died of inhalation and thermal injuries, with a sternum fractured by blunt force contributing significantly. Her right kidney was lacerated and 12% of the surface of her skin was burned.
Heches oldest son, Homer Laffoon, is serving as executor of her estate. The woman who was in the house with her pets recently sued Heches estate, seeking a minimum of $2 million, while ex-boyfriend Thomas Jane put in a claim for a personal loan Heche didnt repay before she died.
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Hematuria
Microscopic hematuria has no visible signs. Doctors will only know someone has it if a urine test finds it.
Gross hematuria is seen because it changes the color of urine, which can happen with only a little bit of blood. Often, red or tea-colored urine is the only symptom.
In some cases, hematuria can be one of many symptoms of another condition. For example, if a bladder infection is causing the hematuria, other symptoms might include fever, pain while peeing, and lower belly pain.