Hematuria (Blood in Urine)

What is hematuria?

Hematuria means blood in the urine. Microscopic hematuria means that the blood is seen only when the urine is examined under a microscope. Gross hematuria means that there is enough blood in the urine to be seen without a microscope. It causes the urine to look pink, red, or sometimes brown.

Certain kinds of foods, such as beets or blackberries, may give the urine a reddish tint. This should last only for a day or so after eating these foods. A few medicines may also turn the urine reddish. If you have started a new medicine and notice a color change in your urine, call your pharmacist to see if that is normal. If the redness persists and cannot be explained by food or medicine, consult your health care provider promptly.

How does it occur?

Hematuria is a sign that something is causing bleeding in the urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, the ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder, and the urethra (tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body). Some common causes of blood in the urine are:

• urinary tract (bladder) infection
• strenuous exercise
• kidney disease
• a stone in your bladder or kidney
• an inherited disease such as sickle cell anemia or systemic lupus erythematosus
• medicines such as blood thinners, including heparin (Calciparine, Liquaemin), warfarin (Coumadin), or aspirin-type medicines; penicillins; sulfa-containing drugs; cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
• a prostate infection
• injury to any part of the urinary tract (for example, falling off a bike might bruise your kidney)
• a tumor in your urinary tract.

How is it diagnosed?

Urine that has blood in it may appear pink, bright red, or sometimes brown. If you have blood in your urine, your health care provider will ask about other symptoms and examine you. If the cause is clear, your health care provider will treat you. If the cause isn't clear, you may need to have more tests such as:

• urine tests
• blood tests
• ultrasound scan of your bladder and kidneys
• intravenous pyelogram (an x-ray of the urinary tract)
• cystoscopy (a procedure that allows your provider to look at the urinary tract with a slim, flexible, lighted tube inserted through the urethra).

How is it treated?

The treatment of hematuria depends on its cause.

How long do the effects last?

How long hematuria lasts depends on its cause. For example, hematuria related to strenuous exercise usually goes away within 1 or 2 days after the exercise. Hematuria from a urinary tract infection will end when the infection is cured. Other causes might take longer to clear up.

What can I do to help prevent hematuria?

Prevention of hematuria depends on the cause. Ask your health care provider what you can do to prevent it.