What does it mean having Blood in the Urine?
Blood in the urine (hematuria) can make urine appear pink, red, or brown.
Depending on the amount of blood, how long it has been in the urine, and how acidic the urine is.
Causes include infections, injury, tumors, or diseases like kidney or bladder stones. It doesn’t always mean you have a serious medical problem; sometimes a minor injury to your urinary tract can cause it. But it’s important to have this symptom evaluated because it can be an early sign of cancer.
It is a symptom of many medical conditions, including urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and enlarged prostate.
It can also be a sign of a more serious condition such as bladder cancer or kidney disease.
Sometimes the amount of bloods in the urine is too small to be seen with the naked eye (called microscopic hematuria).
It’s important that people with this type of blood in the urine are tested.
What causes it?
It can be caused by an infection, injury, or even stress.
But when it occurs along with other symptoms or there’s no obvious cause for the bleeding, it could be a sign of a serious disorder.
First aid for it depends on what’s causing it.
If you have microscopic hematuria (blood in your urine that can be seen only with a microscope).
Your doctor may advise you to wait a few months before having more tests done to see if the hematuria goes away on its own.
If you have gross hematuria (blood that you can see with the naked eye).
Your doctor may want to do more tests right away to find out what’s causing it and determine if you need treatment.
Diagnosing what’s causing blood in your urine can be tricky because there are many possible causes.
Some of which may not require treatment and may go away on their own
How is it diagnosed?
When doctors suspect that a person has hematuria, they usually carry out one or more tests to look for it.
When they find it, they then try to work out the cause.
In most cases, the tests involve taking a sample of urine and looking at it under a microscope (called urinalysis).
And it carry out imaging tests such as an ultrasound scan or CT scan.
When to see a doctor?
Make an appointment with your doctor if you notice it, even if you have no other signs or symptoms.
In some cases, especially in men older than 50 and women older than 60, microscopic hematuria doesn’t always suggest a serious condition. If your doctor thinks this might be what’s causing it, he or she may ask whether you’ve had it previously. You may also need to get an ultrasound exam of your kidneys and bladder to look for problems that might not show up on other tests.
Please note that regular First Aid and CPR Training is the best way to make sure that you’re prepare in the case of an emergency. Book a course with us!
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