Blood in the urine

Blood in the urine or Hematuria often occurs as a symptom of illness and can have various causes. However, it is not uncommon for blood to appear in the urine after intense physical exertion. The symptoms are usually harmless and not pathological. However, since blood in the urine is common in kidney and urinary tract diseases, a doctor should always be consulted for appropriate treatment.

What is blood in the urine?

Since blood in the urine is common in kidney and urinary tract diseases, a doctor should always be consulted for appropriate treatment.

Blood in the urine is also called hematuria. It is very possible that you will find blood in your urine. This can be extreme physical stress that can be caused by sport or situations in daily needs, for example when lifting heavy boxes.

Blood in the urine can also occur from improper nutrition or from food prone to red pigment in the urine. The latter is not blood but a natural red dye, such as after eating beetroot. However, if the blood in the urine occurs more frequently, then a pathological cause is definitely decisive and should be clarified.

causes

Having blood in your urine can have several causes. It can sometimes be a bladder cold or kidney infection.

Urinary tract infections and urethritis can also cause blood in the urine. But not only that, because the renal pelvic infections also deliver blood in the urine, as well as bladder and kidney stones or tumors.

One should never underestimate blood in the urine. Medicines or vascular diseases such as thrombosis, radiation or chemotherapy also contribute to the fact that blood may or may not be present in the urine. It should not be overestimated, but neither should it be neglected. An additional trip to the family doctor often helps to reduce doubts and misunderstandings. Conclusion: blood in the urine must be examined thoroughly.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medicines for bladder and urinary tract health

Diseases with this symptom

• Diabetes mellitus
• Ureteral stone
• Bladder stones
• Urethritis

• Kidney cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Pelvic inflammation
• Cystitis

• Cystic kidneys
• Kidney infarction
• high blood pressure
• Schistosomiasis

Complications

Blood in the urine always suggests serious kidney and urinary tract disease. There may be blood in the urine after vigorous physical exertion, but this is rare and not due to illness. In any case, however, a urologist should be consulted so that he can accurately diagnose the cause and initiate the appropriate treatment. But blood can also appear in the urine through improper nutrition and in some cases it is not blood at all, but a red dye that is present in beetroot, for example.

However, if there is more blood in the urine, it is important to identify the cause. From a bladder infection to kidney cancer, anything can be the cause.

Blood in the urine should never be underestimated. Blood in the urine can also appear from certain drugs, and this phenomenon is often seen with chemotherapy. Blood in the urine must be taken seriously, but one shouldn't panic either. A visit to the family doctor creates clarity, a detailed examination is called for. Blood in the urine should always be checked by a doctor, even if the symptoms are not extremely severe. The doctor will first clarify whether pain occurs when urinating, what the diet is like and whether something like this has already occurred in the family.

Of course, blood pressure and temperature are also measured. With a urine sample, the doctor can quickly see whether kidney stones may trigger blood in the urine and whether there is an inflammation of the urinary tract or the kidneys.

When should you go to the doctor?

Not every red color in the urine is synonymous with traces of blood in the urine and accordingly can be traced back to a serious illness. Discoloration is often caused by certain foods (including beetroot) or drugs (including anthraquinone derivatives).

If this can be ruled out, blood in the urine (hematuria) should always be checked by a doctor - even if there is no additional pain or discomfort. In particular, painless hematuria is suspected of being cancerous until cancer can be ruled out. In addition, it is advantageous for the diagnosis and clarification of the clinical picture if the necessary urine and blood tests can be carried out during the bleeding phase.

A visit to the doctor is to be classified as urgent if additional symptoms such as burning sensation and pain when urinating, frequent urination with small amounts of urine (polliacuria), pus in the urine, pulling or stabbing abdominal or back pain, colic, flank pain as well as a general feeling of illness, chills and fever occur .

If the urine turns red, a doctor should also be consulted if there is a bladder infection. If traces of blood are found in the urine associated with a cystitis, this is usually a sign of bladder or kidney disease.

Doctors & therapists in your area

Treatment & Therapy

At Blood in the urine a doctor should always be consulted, even if it should not appear so extreme at first. The doctor will ask a few questions about diet, the pain, and how often it occurs. He will also ask about the genetic predisposition in the event that a family history has already been diagnosed with blood in the urine. The temperature and blood pressure are measured.

The doctor will feel the abdomen and flanks to see if the blood in the urine may be coming from this area. He will take a urine sample in order to be able to determine microscopically whether and how much blood is present in the urine and he will carry out an ultrasound examination of the patient. Here it can be seen relatively clearly whether there could be a disease in the renal pelvic area, whether the bladder and ureter are involved, or even kidney stones could trigger the blood in the urine.

In order to be able to accurately diagnose the causes of the blood in the urine, further examinations such as an X-ray or magnetic resonance tomography are required. Cystoscopy and tissue samples are also part of the diagnosis of a precise disease analysis. Blood in the urine must be carefully examined in a laboratory.

Outlook & forecast

If blood appears in the urine, a doctor should definitely be consulted. In many cases it is just a harmless infection that can be treated relatively well. However, the dark color of the urine can primarily trigger panic in the patient.

In addition to the blood in the urine, there is often burning pain when urinating. In these cases, the patient suffers from inflammation of the urinary bladder or urethra. This inflammation can usually be treated quickly with the help of medication, so that there are no further problems here. Often there are also pain in the stomach and abdomen, which can severely restrict everyday life.

In rare cases, the blood in the urine suggests a bladder stone or urinary stone. Here, too, the affected person feels extremely severe pain at rest. In this case, treatment is only possible to a limited extent; the patient often has to wait until the stone emerges while urinating.

You can find your medication here

➔ Medicines for bladder and urinary tract health

Prevent

Blood in the urine is almost always a symptom of an illness. Antibiotics, shock wave therapy, or surgery are the most commonly prescribed uses. As a preventive measure, however, you should do a lot to avoid getting into this position of blood in the urine. You can check your urine regularly with a test strip that you can get in any pharmacy. Of course, you cannot say whether the blood in the urine contains a disease process.

Even beetroot can change the urine, and it's not easy for a layperson to tell. However, there are knowledgeable doctors who can help test blood in the urine. Blood in the urine must be checked urgently, no matter how large or small the extent.

You can do that yourself

Blood in the urine is almost always a cause for concern and suggests a serious illness. A complication need not be assumed if the urine briefly turns bloody after a lot of physical exertion. In these cases, the patient should refrain from strenuous physical activity and sport for a few days. As a rule, further measures are not necessary.

Sometimes the reddish discoloration is not due to blood, but to another substance. Especially after eating beetroot, a reddish discoloration of the urine is not a sign of a health problem. Affected people who feel irritated can adjust their diet and avoid foods that are very red in color.

However, blood in the urine can also be due to the use of certain medications. This side effect is not uncommon, especially during chemotherapy. No self-help measures are possible here. As a rule, however, blood in the urine indicates a complication related to a bladder or kidney disease. If the blood in the urine is accompanied by sharp pain, nausea and vomiting, kidney stones may have led to renal colic. Blood in the urine can also indicate a worsening bladder infection. In these cases, patients should follow the prescription of the attending physician. You can also contribute to recovery by resting in bed and placing a hot water bottle on the lower abdomen.

In severe forms, which affect the entire lower urinary tract, there is a regular bloody discoloration of the urine. The symptom also regularly induces complications related to an enlarged prostate. In addition, complications in the treatment of bladder cancer can cause blood in the urine. In these cases self-therapy should be refrained from and all measures should be discussed with the attending physician.