Haematuria, also known as blood in the urine (pee), is not usually caused by anything serious – but you must get it checked out by a doctor as it might also be a sign of cancer that, if detected early, can be successfully treated. Almost anyone — including children and teens — can have red blood cells in the urine.
What is haematuria?
Haematuria is the presence of blood in a person’s urine. There are two types of haematuria: gross haematuria – when a person can see the blood in his or her urine, and microscopic haematuria – when a person cannot see the blood in his or her urine, yet it is seen under a microscope.
What are some causes of haematuria?
There are a number of causes of haematuria. Some are benign while others can be life threatening. Blood in your urine could come from anywhere in the urinary tract – the bladder, kidneys or urethra. Some common causes include the following:
• infection in the bladder, kidney or prostate
• trauma
• vigorous exercise
• viral illness, such as hepatitis
• sexual activity
• menstruation
• endometriosis – a problem in women that occurs when the kind of tissue that normally lines the uterus grows somewhere else, such as the bladder
More serious reasons people may have haematuria include:
• bladder or kidney cancer
• inflammation of the kidney, urethra, bladder or prostate
• blood-clotting disorders, such as haemophilia
• sickle cell disease – a genetic disorder in which a person’s body makes abnormally shaped red blood cells
• polycystic kidney disease – a genetic disorder in which many cysts grow on a person’s kidneys
Some medications, such as the laxative Ex-lax, and certain foods, including beets, rhubarb and berries, can cause your urine to turn red. A change in urine colour caused by drugs, food or exercise might go away within a few days.
It should be pointed out that often the cause of haematuria cannot be identified.
Diagnosis
Although many causes of blood in the urine are benign, the individual with blood in the urine should not self-diagnose. There are potentially serious medical disorders associated with haematuria. If you have blood in the urine see a qualified health care professional so that a proper history, medical examination and various investigations can be done to find out the exact cause of blood in the urine.
Treatment
Treatment of haematuria will often depend on the underlying cause for it. If no serious medical condition is causing blood in the urine, the individual is often counseled and closely followed up often with further testing – depending on associated symptoms.
Conclusion
Seeing blood in your urine can be alarming for most individuals. In many cases the cause for blood in the urine is harmless, but individuals are encouraged to see their doctor because, in a few cases, blood in the urine (haematuria) can indicate a serious disorder, such as cancer, that can be treated if detected at an early stage. Treatment of haematuria often depends on the underlying cause – and in most cases treatment is successful.
Ask Your Dr is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge MB BS DGO MRCOG is an obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor with over thirty-eight years in clinical practice. Dr Brett Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 497 5828).
