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Visible blood in the urine is an ominous signal that can startle and alarm you. It's often a sign that something is wrong with your urinary tract system. Before you panic, learn more about the possible causes and what to do next.
What causes blood in the urine?
It isn't uncommon for someone who has over-exerted themselves to see a little bit of blood in the urine—so if you've recently engaged in some exercise that's too intense for your body, it's time to cut back a little. New joggers and people who are working out at the gym sometimes experience it—which is a clear sign that you are doing too much too fast. Trauma to the kidney areas and a lack of appropriate fluid intake during intense exercise can both lead to bleeding in the urinary tract. If you have pain in the kidney area, that's a strong indicator that trauma is behind the bleeding.
It is also a common symptom of a urinary tract infection (UTI). For women, the condition can often occur after intercourse. In both sexes, the UTI can stem from either the kidneys or the bladder and can be the result of either a small infection or even a kidney stone. The presence of other symptoms, like fever or chills, strongly suggest a urinary tract infection.
Blood in the urine is also a common consequence of some medications, like blood thinners. It can also, infrequently, signal the presence of cancer. If you've recently started any medications, contact your doctor or pharmacy immediately to determine if they could be the cause of the blood and see if you should stop taking them. Make sure that you also let the doctor or pharmacist know about any over-the-counter supplements that you are taking as well.
What should you do about blood in the urine?
One thing that you should do is increase the amount of clear liquids that you are drinking—particularly plain water. That can help flush out your system if you have an infection. You also need to schedule an examination with a urologist, even if the bleeding seems to stop, in order to make sure that you don't have a serious condition that's gone undiagnosed.
Your urologist will likely run a urinalysis, which is done with a sample of your urine that's collected in the office. He or she will look for abnormal cells in the urine and examine it for traces of blood. You may also be scheduled for a CT scan, which is a type of painless x-ray that lets the urologist take a look at whether or not you have any bladder or kidney stones, tumors, or other visible problems with your kidneys, bladder, and urinary tract system.
Many cases of blood in the urine resolve without any additional treatment or can be treated with an antibiotic. However, always be on the safe side and assume that blood in your urine requires a trip to the urologist in order to rule out anything serious.
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