Seeing blood in your urine can be alarming. While in many instances the cause is harmless, blood in urine (hematuria) can indicate a serious disorder.
Blood that you can see is called gross hematuria. Urinary blood that's visible only under a microscope (microscopic hematuria) is found when your doctor tests your urine. Either way, it's important to determine the reason for the bleeding.
Treatment depends on the cause.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Gross hematuria produces pink, red or cola-colored urine due to the presence of red blood cells. It takes little blood to produce red urine, and the bleeding usually isn't painful. Passing blood clots in your urine, however, can be painful.
Bloody urine often occurs without other signs or symptoms.
Make an appointment to see your doctor anytime you notice blood in your urine.
Some medications, such as the laxative Ex-lax, and certain foods, including beets, rhubarb and berries, can cause your urine to turn red. A change in urine color caused by drugs, food or exercise might go away within a few days.
Bloody urine looks different, but you might not be able to tell the difference. It's best to see your doctor anytime you see red-colored urine.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
In hematuria, your kidneys â or other parts of your urinary tract â allow blood cells to leak into urine. Various problems can cause this leakage, including:
Urinary tract infections. These occur when bacteria enter your body through the urethra and multiply in your bladder. Symptoms can include a persistent urge to urinate, pain and burning with urination, and extremely strong-smelling urine.
For some people, especially older adults, the only sign of illness might be microscopic blood in the urine.
A bladder or kidney stone. The minerals in concentrated urine sometimes form crystals on the walls of your kidneys or bladder. Over time, the crystals can become small, hard stones.
The stones are generally painless, so you probably won't know you have them unless they cause a blockage or are being passed. Then there's usually no mistaking the symptoms â kidney stones, especially, can cause excruciating pain. Bladder or kidney stones can also cause both gross and microscopic bleeding.
Strenuous exercise. It's rare for strenuous exercise to lead to gross hematuria, and the cause is unknown. It may be linked to trauma to the bladder, dehydration or the breakdown of red blood cells that occurs with sustained aerobic exercise.
Runners are most often affected, although anyone can develop visible urinary bleeding after an intense workout. If you see blood in your urine after exercise, don't assume it's from exercising. See your doctor.
Often the cause of hematuria can't be identified.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
The following tests and exams play a key role in finding a cause for blood in your urine:
Sometimes, the cause of urinary bleeding can't be found. In that case, your doctor might recommend regular follow-up tests, especially if you have risk factors for bladder cancer, such as smoking, exposure to environmental toxins or a history of radiation therapy.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Almost anyone â including children and teens â can have red blood cells in the urine. Factors that make this more likely include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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