Blood in Urine

What causes blood in urine?

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

It takes only a very small amount of blood for urine to look bloody. It makes the urine look pink, red, or sometimes brown.

Some common causes of blood in the urine are:

• kidney or bladder infection
• strenuous exercise
• kidney disease
• a stone in the bladder or kidney
• an inherited disease such as sickle cell anemia or lupus
• medicines that help prevent clots, such as warfarin (Coumadin)
• other medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and penicillin
• a prostate infection
• injury to any part of the urinary tract (for example, a fall might bruise the kidney)
• a tumor in the urinary tract.

Hematuria is the medical term for blood in the urine. If the blood can be seen only with a microscope, it is called microscopic hematuria. If you can see the blood without a microscope, it is called gross hematuria.

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 healthcare provider promptly.

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 healthcare provider will ask about other symptoms and examine you. If the cause is obvious, your healthcare 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 blood in the urine depends on its cause.

How long do the effects last?

How long you have blood in your urine lasts depends on its cause. For example, if it is related to strenuous exercise, it 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 blood in the urine?

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