blood in the urine

Blood in the urine can be visible as an individual urinates, it may be noticed when the urine is tested by a special stick that turns a different color when it reacts with blood, or it may be seen only under a microscope during urinalysis testing.

 

Not all cases of dark or red urine are due to blood. A protein called myoglobin from muscle breakdown can darken the urine, as can eating a large amount of beets. The antibiotic rifampin turns the urine orange. True blood in the urine can only be confirmed when red blood cells are seen under a microscope. There are many possible causes of blood in the urine, most of them serious.

 

Blood in the urine may or may not be noticed by the affected person. A person who has blood in the urine may have other symptoms including:

 

These and any other accompanying symptoms should be reported to a healthcare professional.

 

There are many possible causes of blood in the urine, including: bladder and urethra infections or other inflammations (called interstitial cystitis)bleeding or blood-clotting disorders as might be seen in someone taking too much of a blood-thinning medication or with a congenital disease such as hemophilia.kidney injury/inflammation such as that from glomerulonephritis. a kidney stonesickle cell disease, an inherited condition usually seen in African American people. It results in abnormally shaped red blood cells, which can injure the kidney. Patients with sickle cell trait (that is only 1 rather than 2 abnormal genes) can also have blood in the urine.a tumor or cancer in the kidney, the ureters (the tubes that connect the kidney to the bladder), the bladder, or prostate. In children this can be a tumor of the kidney called Wilms' tumor.polycystic kidney diseasestrenuous exercisesome drug reactions (called interstitial nephritis)

Most cases cannot be prevented. Drinking fluids and taking certain medications can prevent kidney stones in some individuals. Some cases of urethritis are caused by sexually transmitted diseases. Some bladder infections can be prevented by timely urination, medications, or cranberry juice.

Diagnosis begins with a medical history and physical exam. The blood in the urine may then be identified by inspection if the urine is red, by a stick placed in the urine that changes color in the presence of blood, and confirmed by a microscopic exam.