Hematuria: What does blood in urine mean?

Blood in urine, or hematuria, can cause your urine to look pink, brown or red, but you may not notice a change in color even if blood shows up on a urine test. Having blood in your urine isn’t always painful, but isn’t normal, and requires a visit to our Fort Bend or Harris County urologists to find out what’s causing it.

When red blood cells get into the urine, there can be a number of causes, some of which cause obvious symptoms. However, many people notice blood without feeling any symptoms at all. You may notice that blood in urine comes and goes, and that in some cases, it seems to completely resolve on its own.

Long-distance runners or people who engage in heavy exercise sometimes notice hematuria, which can be caused by bladder irritation that heals on its own. The color of some foods can also make its way into your urine, especially deep-red-colored fruits and vegetables, such as beets or berries. Sometimes, a urine test will detect blood that’s not coming from the urinary tract at all, but instead from the reproductive organs in women or an enlarged prostate in men.

Even if you suspect that blood in urine isn’t serious, it’s always best to get checked out by our Fort Bend County or Harris County urologists at the office closest to you. That’s because some causes of hematuria can be quite serious, and early intervention is always the best approach.

Serious causes of hematuria

Our experienced urologists diagnose and treat all of the common causes of hematuria in both men and women. In some cases, a course of antibiotics can resolve the issue, but other causes may require other types of treatment.

• Urinary tract infection, or UTI
• Kidney or bladder stones
• Enlarged prostate
• Trauma to the kidneys, bladder or urinary tract
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Kidney disease
• Urinary tract cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Genetic diseases, such as hemophilia, nephritis, sickle cell disease or lupus

To determine the cause of hematuria, your urologist may order urine tests, ultrasound examinations of the kidneys and urinary structures, blood tests, or other imaging studies. If no clear cause is identified, you may need to return to our office every few weeks or months for a re-check, just to be on the safe side.

Don’t wait to get checked

While most cases of blood in urine aren’t serious, it’s best to get checked out as soon as possible. Because this common condition can have serious causes, ignoring it can have serious consequences. If you notice that your urine looks discolored, or if you are experiencing urinary urgency or pain when urinating, make an appointment with our Fort Bend or Harris County urologists.