Blood In Urine Specialist

What does blood in the urine mean?

Blood in urine, or hematuria, is a symptom that can come from several different complications. In some cases, blood in your urine is harmless. However, seeing red, brown, or pink in your urine can indicate some issue with your kidneys or another part of your urinary tract. However, you might have trace amounts of blood in your urine that don’t affect its color. 

Sometimes, blood clots can appear in your urine. It can be uncomfortable or painful to pass these blood clots. Since there are several different issues that can cause painful urination, you should visit Kidney Health Specialists for a diagnosis to find out if you have blood clots in your urine. 

Blood in your urine doesn’t always come with pain. If you have neither pain nor visible blood, you might get a diagnosis of blood in the urine after a physician detects blood cells in a routine urinalysis test. It’s also important to note that certain foods like beets or berries can add color to your urine that makes it look bloody when it really isn’t. 

What causes blood in urine?

There are many possible causes of blood in your urine, some far less harmful than others. While blood in your urine doesn’t always indicate kidney disease, you should come in for diagnostic testing just in case you have kidney disease or some other harmful underlying condition. 

Some of the most common causes of blood in the urine are:

• Menstruation
• Sexual activity
• Strenuous exercise
• Injuries
• Urinary tract infections
• Kidney infections
• Kidney or bladder cancer
• Kidney or bladder stones
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Clotting disorders
• Sickle cell disease
• Enlarged prostate
• Kidney disease
  
  

Sometimes, there is no identifiable cause for hematuria. In order to make your diagnosis, Dr. Cristea performs a physical exam and might conduct other tests like a urinalysis or ultrasound imaging of your kidney and bladder. 

What are some possible treatments for blood in the urine?

Your treatment for hematuria depends entirely on the underlying diagnosis. If the blood in your urine is coming from menstruation, strenuous exercise, or other harmless causes, you won’t need treatment at all.

If the blood in your urine comes from a bacterial infection, you’ll need to take antibiotics to alleviate it. Similarly, Dr. Cristea can prescribe medications for other various causes, like to treat an enlarged prostate. 

In some cases, in-office treatments are necessary. If you have large kidney stones causing blood to appear in your urine, Dr. Cristea might recommend shockwave therapy to shrink them and make them easier to pass. 

Seeing blood in your urine can be jarring, but it doesn’t always indicate a serious underlying medical condition. To schedule an evaluation because there is blood in your urine, call Kidney Health Specialists, or request an appointment online today.