Blood in urine - known medically as Hematuria. There are two types of Hematuria.
- Gross Hematuria : when a person can see the blood in his or her urine
- Microscopic Hematuria : when a person cannot see the blood in his or her urine, yet it is seen under a microscope
Where Blood Might Come From
- Kidneys, where urine is made.
- Ureters, the tubes from the kidneys to the bladder
- Bladder, where urine is stored
- Urethra, the tube from the bladder to the outside of the body
Common causes for Hematuria
- Urinary tract infections.
- Kidney infections.
- A bladder or kidney stone.
- Enlarged prostate.
- Cancer. Visible urinary bleeding may be a sign of advanced kidney, bladder or prostate cancer.
- Kidney injury.
- Medications. The anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) and penicillin can cause urinary bleeding.
- Strenuous exercise.
- Menstruation
- Sexual activity
Hematuria an be diagnosed with
- Urinalysis test, which uses a microscope to look for abnormal cells in the urine.
- Blood test, If blood contains high levels of wastes that kidneys are supposed to remove, it could be a sign of kidney disease.
- CT scan (Computed tomography), which can help identify bladder or kidney stones, tumors, and other abnormalities of the bladder, kidneys, and ureters.
- Kidney ultrasound, which create a picture of the kidney's structure.
- Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
- Cystoscopy, which inserting a small tube with a camera into the bladder through the urethra. Tissue samples (biopsy) may be obtained to check for the presence of abnormal or cancerous cells
Treatment of Hematuria
Treatments based on the underlying cause.
