Blood in Urine: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Hematuria, or blood in the urine, can be either gross (visible) or microscopic (blood cells only visible through a microscope). Gross hematuria can vary widely in appearance, from light pink to deep red with clots. Although the amount of blood in the urine may be different, the types of conditions that can cause the problem are the same, and require the same kind of workup or evaluation. People with gross hematuria will visit their doctor with this as a primary complaint. People who have microscopic hematuria, on the other hand, will be unaware of a problem and their condition will most commonly be detected as part of a periodic checkup by a primary-care physician.

Treatment depends on the cause. Depending on the condition causing your hematuria, treatment might involve taking antibiotics to clear a urinary tract infection, trying a prescription medication to shrink an enlarged prostate or having shock wave therapy to break up bladder or kidney stones. In some cases, no treatment is necessary.

Evaluating blood in urine requires consideration of the entire urinary tract. Tests used for the diagnosis of blood in urine may include a CT scan, cystoscopy, ultrasound, IVP, MRI, urine culture, and urine cytology. Management of blood in the urine depends upon the underlying cause. Be sure to follow up with your doctor after treatment to ensure there's no more blood in your urine.

Blood in the urine can come due to many possible reasons. Some of them may not indicate anything serious but others can be damaging. Some of the reasons are:

• Infection in the kidney, bladder, or urinary system may lead to muscle damage leading to bloody urine. It is a serious condition as a bacterial infection in any of them can spread to the whole system if not taken care of.
• Stones - crystallized compound sediment in the bladder or kidney may block the pipeline, causing inflammation and swelling which may also lead to pain and blood traces in urine.
• Enlarged prostate-specific to males, enlargement of the prostate can put pressure on the urethra, stressing the muscles which make it difficult for an individual to empty the bladder completely. The residue of urine can cause UTI and other bladder-related complications, one of them is blood in the urine.
• Kidney disease - Kidney diseases like post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis can cause inflammation in the kidney causing blood released in urine. Diabetes and high blood pressure can also be the reason.
• Cancer - Bladder, kidney, or prostate cancer may signal an individual by symptoms like blood in the urine. It may not show at early stages but it can show its presence in later stages.
• Medications - Certain medications that make sudden changes in the blood pressure and its thickness can make your urine red. Also, cyclophosphamide, which is used to treat cancer can have a side effect causing blood in the urine.

Other rare causes behind hematuria are:

• Sickle-cell Anemia.
• Hemophilia.
• Alport syndrome.
• Strenuous exercise.
• Blow to the kidneys.

Summary: Blood in the urine can be a symptom of a number of medical conditions. While some of them may not indicate anything serious, others can be damaging.

Yes, in the case of kidney stones dehydration can put extra pressure on the kidney which can also lead to blood in the kidney. It is not important that a patient with kidney stones and dehydration will see this symptom, but it can happen in some cases with other linked symptoms.

Summary: Lack of water is one of the most common reasons why people have blood in the urine. Dehydration can be very harmful to your body especially to your kidney.

In some non-serious cases like side effects of certain medications or strenuous exercises may lead to hematuria, which may be temporary and fade away on its own without any medical help.

However, it is not only a side effect but also a symptom of various medical conditions that can develop a serious case in an individual, so even if it occurs once, it is advised to consult your doctor.

Summary: Blood In Urine can be a serious issue that should not be ignored or underestimated. While in some cases it can go on its own, in other cases it can be very damaging to your body if not treated on time.

First and foremost, the doctor will take a detailed history and do a thorough physical examination. The doctor will order for urine testing to look for presence of infection, or presence of minerals in urine that can cause kidney stones. Certain blood tests may be done to look for underlying disease conditions that can cause blood in the urine.

Further tests such as intravenous pyelogram/ x-ray of the urinary tract after injection of a dye or an ultrasonography (use of high-frequency sound waves and computer processing to view your kidneys and bladder) may be done. Imaging tests such as computerized tomography (CT scan) which uses radiation and a powerful computer to create cross sectional images of the inside of the body and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses a magnetic field and radio waves instead of X-rays to produce images may be done to provide detailed images of the urinary tract.

Procedures such as endoscopy or cystoscopy (insertion of a narrow tube fitted with a miniature camera) may be done to visualize the inside the bladder. At times the workup may be negative and the cause of blood in urine is unknown. In such individuals, observation with repeated urine analysis, blood tests, blood pressure monitoring, and assessment of prostate specific antigen (in men over the age of 50) may be done.

The treatment for hematuria varies and is dependent upon the cause. Hematuria does not have a cure; rather, your doctor will treat the condition or disease causing the blood in your urine. If your doctor determines a tumor is present somewhere in the urinary tract, prostate or lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, possible treatments may include chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy.

Blood in urine is a very common symptom with females which is known as menstruation. In that case it is natural phenomenon which needs no treatment unless any irregularity or problem is seen in the menstrual cycle.

Monitor your food intake before worrying about red-colored urine. Consumption of beets, rhubarb, and berries which are highly pigmented with red color can make your urine red or dark pinkish making it look as similar as the presence of blood.

Also, medications can cause temporary changes in urine color, which may fade on its own once your body gets used to the medication.

Other than that if you find it blood-red or pinkish in color, consult your doctor as soon as possible as it can be a signal for a serious medical condition.

Summary: Blood In Urine can be a very worrisome situation, however, it is not important that it is only rooted in anything serious. Things like color-rich diets, medications, or changing lifestyles can also lead to the same which is not a serious problem.

No cause will be found for microscopic hematuria in many cases. If initial ultrasound and other investigations reveal no disease, cystoscopy for persistent asymptomatic microscopic hematuria is not warranted in patients under 40 without risk factors for bladder cancer unless gross hematuria, a significant increase in the number of red blood cells, or urinary tract symptoms develop. When no specific cause for persistent microscopic hematuria is found, perform urinalysis and measure blood pressure.1,3,4 If the hematuria persists beyond three months, consider referral to a specialist.

How long hematuria lasts depends on its underlying cause. For example, hematuria related to strenuous exercise typically goes away on its own within 24 to 48 hours. In general, people with exercise-related hematuria do not need any treatment other than to modify their exercise programs. Hematuria resulting from a urinary tract infection will end when the infection is cured. Hematuria related to a kidney stone will clear after the stone is passed or removed. People with drug-related hematuria will improve if they stop taking the medication that caused the problem.

If hematuria is caused as a symptom of any minor urinary tract infection, hematuria will end when the infection is cured. Hematuria related to strenuous exercise typically goes away on its own within 24 to 48 hours. Hematuria related to a kidney stone will clear after the stone is passed or removed. People with drug-related hematuria will improve if they stop taking the medication that caused the problem. But if the hematuria is the cause of any malignant tumor or prostate cancer, prolonged treatment needs to be done. So the result of hematuria will be permanent or not depends on the cause underlying it.

There are several home remedies for hematuria which are simple and are quite safe to use with no risk of side effects and are cost-effective. Some of the popular home remedies for hematuria which are being used since a very long time and have proved to be quite effective in many cases are:

One of the most effective home remedies for hematuria is to drink cranberry juice or take some spinach juice and mix it with coconut water. Now drink this mixture. This mixture will treat the infections in bladder by working as a diuretic.

Bitter gourd is considered to be one of the most efficient home remedies for hematuria. All you need to do is consume bitter gourd on daily basis. Or you can even try drinking its juice which is equally beneficial.

Baking soda is also very helpful in treating hematuria. All you have to do is take eight ounce of water and then add half tablespoon of baking soda in it. Mix well and drink this mixture. This home remedy will fight fungal infections and urinary tract infection. Remember to drink it on regular basis.

Boil a cup of water and then add one teaspoon of lemon juice in it. Allow this mixture to cool down a little bit and then drink it throughout the day at fixed intervals of two hours.

Consuming moderate amount of meat soup on daily basis can also be very effective in treating hematuria. Do not add any spices or oil in it.

Pomegranate juice is also very beneficial in curing hematuria. Make it a daily habit to drink this pomegranate juice to get good results.

Consume food rich in vitamin C as it will boost the immune system of the body and will increase the acidity of the urine. This will prevent the bacteria to cause further infection.

Take one glass of fresh coconut water and then add two teaspoons of fresh drumstick flower juice in it. Mix them well and drink this mixture two times in a day. This natural home remedy will help in getting rid of infections.

Take a pumpkin and mash it into a paste. Now mix it with sugar cane juice and drink immediately. This will quickly heal hematuria.

There are no certain home remedies for bloody urine as most of the root causes associated with it are quite severe and not easy to treat with home remedies.

However, a few causes like UTI, kidney stone, or other dietary alterations may be treated with home remedies like adding more liquid to your diet and avoiding fried salt or spice foods. could be beneficial.

Summary: Home remedies are considered one of the easiest and readily available methods of managing anybody's problem. There are many home remedies that can be helpful for an individual to deal with bloody urine.

Summary: Hematuria can be described as traces of blood found in urine. It can either be in the form of clots or liquid which can make your urine reddish or pinkish in appearance. It may not be a serious problem but can be a symptom of some serious medical complications, so it is important to see a doctor if you see your urine turning red.