Contributed by – Healthians Team
Urine is one of our body’s waste products made in the urinary tract, which is part of the kidneys. Urine contains water, urea, and other waste products that are created when protein is broken down. Blood or red blood cells in your urine may indicate some serious kidney diseases such as hematuria, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. So, we are going to discuss the causes and symptoms of blood in your urine and what it indicates.
What are the symptoms of blood in the urine?
One of the clear indicators is the change in colour of your urine. It changes to pink, brown, or tea-colored from the usual light yellow. Even if the appearance of your urine doesn’t change, your doctor may find blood cells in your urine when they perform a urine test. Some of the possible symptoms of blood in the urine include:
- Pain during urinating
- Extreme smell after urinating
- Persistent urge to urinate
- Pain in lower back or abdomen
What are the risk factors causing blood in the urine?
Blood in the urine may come from your urethra, bladder, or kidneys and indicate serious problems. Some problems associated with urinary blood:
- Kidney diseases: Blood in the urine can be the symptoms of kidney diseases like Glomerulonephritis, which occurs due to diabetes and impacts small capillary filters of kidneys.
- Enlarged prostate: In middle age, the prostate gland which is situated below the bladder and surrounding the top part of the urethra may enlarge. At some point, it blocks the urethra and leads to difficulty in urinating.
- Kidney stones: You may not know whether you have kidney stones or not until and unless it shows some symptoms because kidney stones may not be painful.
- Urinary tract infections: Urinary Tract Infections occur when there is a growth of bacteria in your bladder or urethra or other parts of the urinary tract,
- Genetic disorders: Genetic disorders like sickle cell anemia occur due to loss of hemoglobin in red blood cells and cause blood in the urine.
Sometimes certain medications and intense exercise can cause blood in the urine. In women, blood in urine may be due to menstrual bleeding or engaging in sexual intercourse for the first time.
[Also read: What causes kidney problems?]
How can it be diagnosed?
Your doctor may go for urine analysis and ask about the history of this disease. They may ask you about pain or any other symptoms you may have experienced.
Your doctor may go for kidney function tests and urine routine tests after collecting the urine sample to diagnose the type of disease or infection. Some other procedures like CT scan, ultrasound, or biopsy can be performed by your doctor to diagnose the exact condition.
How can it be treated?
Blood in your urine means you have a medical condition like kidney failure, urinary tract infection, or liver disease which needs treatment. After the diagnosis, your doctor will decide what type of treatment you need. For an infection, your doctor may prescribe medicines to stop it in the initial stage. If this problem persists for a long period, your doctor may go for another urine test or you can see a urine specialist.
What are the complications associated with it?
Some of the causes of blood in the urine are serious and leads to several complications in later stages. If it is left untreated, then it can lead to serious conditions like kidney failure or kidney cancer.
[Also read: Things to know more about your urine]
How can it be prevented?
To prevent blood in urine or kidney diseases, you can follow these instructions:
- Drink plenty of water
- Practice good diet
- Quit smoking
- Limit the exposure to chemicals
- Avoid junk food
Following a healthy lifestyle can help protect and prevent these types of conditions. In addition to a healthy lifestyle, it is important to regularly go for full body health checkups and track your health so as to keep any health conditions at bay.
