Hematuria (Blood in Urine)
Q: My husband has mentioned that he has had blood in his urine. I'm really concerned. What can cause this?
Affinity's medical expert is Dr. Ronald Slovick, a board-certified urologist with Affinity Medical Group in Appleton.
A: Blood in the urine, medically known as hematuria, alarms many people, but it is not uncommon. Strenuous exercise, certain medications, infections and more serious medical conditions may cause urinary tract bleeding.
Hematuria presents as pink, red or cola-colored urine. Often, there is no pain associated with the bleeding, and it only takes a small amount of blood to tinge the urine’s color. Hematuria affects men, women and even children.
Urinary tract infections are the most common cause of urinary bleeding in women. The urinary tract consists of the bladder, kidneys, ureters and the urethra. The kidneys filter waste product from the blood and transfer it into the urine, which then passes down the ureters into the bladder. Urine then leaves our bodies through the urethra. With a urinary tract infection, bacteria enter the body through the urethra and multiply in the bladder. About 30 percent of people with a urinary tract infection have visible bleeding.
An enlarged prostate is one of the leading causes of visible urinary blood in men age 50 and older. As the prostate enlarges, it may compress the urethra, obstructing the flow of urine. During this process, blood cells may be released into the urine stream.
Other medical conditions that may lead to hematuria include:
• kidney disease, injury or infection
• inherited disorders, like sickle cell anemia and Alport’s syndrome
• bladder or kidney stones
• cancer of the kidney, bladder or prostate.
Certain medications increase the likelihood for urinary bleeding. These drugs include aspirin, penicillin, the blood thinners warfarin and heparin and the anti-cancer drug cyclophosphamide.
Most cases of hematuria are not serious, but it is important that your husband seeks out medical care through his primary care doctor or urologist. The physician likely will run tests to determine the cause of the bleeding and advise both of you about treatment options if necessary. Common tests include a urinalysis, image testing (like a CT scan) and a cystoscopy, which is a procedure where a small scope is placed through the urethra into the bladder to rule out any abnormality.
Treatment for hematuria depends on the cause. If no serious condition is identified, often times no further treatment is necessary.
