Seeing blood in your urine can be alarming and scary. Not just because it looks repelling, but because it could mean something severe. The condition is called haematuria. While in most cases, the cause can be harmless, it is still advisable to consult a doctor. Speaking with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Sandeep Prasad, Urologist, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur, discusses haematuria in detail and explains some of the possible causes.
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What Is Haematuria?
“Haematuria refers to the condition where there is blood while passing urine,” said Dr Prasad, adding, “The colour of the urine generally changes to pink, red or dark brownish, with a slight back pain.” However, the doctor warns that blood flow in urine is serious, however small the amount may be.
According to Dr Prasad, the blood flow is painless during urination, although if there are any clots, that can turn out to be slightly painful. The presence of the blood in the urine can be microscopic, meaning it cannot be seen by the naked eye, or visible, called gross haematuria.
Haematuria is common and occurs in 2%-30% of the adult population, according to a study published in the JAMA Network. Older patients and smokers have higher rates of haematuria, the latter being at an increased risk of genitourinary cancer, highlights the same study.
Causes Of Blood In The Urine
Haematuria can happen for a variety of reasons. Primarily, it happens when blood from the kidneys or other areas of the urinary system leaks into the urinary bladder. Some factors that can cause such leakages include:
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
UTI is a bacterial infection that occurs when bacteria called Escherichia coli (E. coli) enter the urinary tract, and cause it to swell and bleed. Other symptoms include burning while urinating, frequent urination, abdominal pain and fullness, and more.
Kidney infection
A kidney infection occurs when bacteria or viruses cause problems in one or both of your kidneys. This is also called pyelonephritis. Common symptoms include fever, chills, a burning pain while urinating, back pain, nausea or vomiting, and pus or blood in the urine.
Enlarged prostate
Also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate can occur due to age-associated changes in sex hormones. These are not cancerous but symptoms may include pain while urinating, inability to urinate, incontinence or blood in the urine. An infection of the prostate, also called prostatitis, can also cause similar symptoms.
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Cancer
According to Britain's National Health Services, blood in your urine is the most common symptom of bladder cancer. Usually painless, it may lead to haematuria, blood in the urine.
Inherited
Having blood in the urine can be due to inherited illnesses. These include genetic conditions that affect red blood cells, called sickle cell anaemia, which can cause blood in urine. In addition, Alport syndrome can also lead to haematuria. It is a condition that damages tiny blood vessels in the kidneys.
Bottomline
Haematuria can be found in people of any age or gender, said Dr Prasad. It is so common that one out of every five people may have it for some time, although middle-aged men are most likely to suffer from haematuria because of prostate glands. There are also certain hard exercises and a few prescribed medications like cyclophosphamide and the antibiotic penicillin which increase the risk of blood in urine, he concluded.