What does a blood clot in urine look like?
INTRODUCTION
The presence of blood within your urine can be concerning.
While the reason is often innocuous, blood in the urine (hematuria) can signify
a dangerous condition.
Gross hematuria refers to visible blood. Whenever your
doctor checks your urine, he or she will find microscopic hematuria (urine
blood visible only under a microscope). In any case, the cause of the bleeding
must be determined.
Treatment is determined by the underlying cause.
Symptoms
Because of the existence of red blood cells, gross hematuria
causes pink, red, or cola-colored urine. It just takes a small amount of blood
to create red urine, as well as the bleeding is usually not unpleasant.
Nevertheless, passing blood clots in your urine might be painful.
Bloody urine frequently occurs in the absence of other signs
or symptoms.
When
should you see a doctor?
Schedule an appointment with your doctor if you find blood
in your urine.
Certain medications, including the laxative Ex-lax, and
foods, such as beets, rhubarb, and berries, might cause your urine to become
red. Urine color changes induced by medicines, diet, or exercise may resolve
within a few days.
Bloody urine has a distinct appearance, but you might not
have been able to tell the difference. It is best to consult your doctor if you
notice red-colored urine.
Causes
In hematuria, your kidneys or other components of your
urinary tract enable blood cells to leak into your urine. This leakage can be
caused by a number of issues, including:
Infections
of the urinary tract. These develop when germs enter your urine out
of the body and proliferate in your bladder. A constant urge to urinate, pain
and burning when urinating, and exceptionally strong-smelling urine are all
symptoms.
For several people, especially older people, the only
evidence of sickness may be tiny blood in the urine.
Infections
of the kidneys (pyelonephritis. These can happen when germs
enter the kidneys from the circulation or travel from the ureters to the kidney
(s). The common symptoms of kidney infections are frequently similar to those
of bladder infections, while kidney infections are much more likely to cause fever and flank pain.
A
bladder and kidney stone. The minerals in concentrated urine can
sometimes form crystals on the walls of your kidneys or bladder. Crystals can
grow into small, hard stones over time.
Because the stones are often painless, you won't realize you
have these unless they cause a blockage or are being passed. The symptoms are
usually obvious – kidney stones, in particular, can cause agonizing pain.
Bladder or kidney stones could also induce both obvious and microscopic
bleeding.
Prostate
enlargement as men become older, the prostate gland, which
is located directly below the bladder and surrounds the upper portion of the
urethra, enlarges. This then pinches the urethra, obstructing urine flow
slightly. An enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH) is
characterized by difficulty urinating, an urgent or persistent desire to
urinate, and visible or microscopic blood in the urine. The very same signs and
symptoms can be caused by a prostate infection (prostatitis).
Kidney
failure. Microscopic urine bleeding is a classic condition of
glomerulonephritis, which is an inflammation of the filtering mechanism of the
kidneys. Glomerulonephritis can be a complication of another condition, such as
diabetes, or it can occur on its own. Viral or bacterial infections, blood
vessel illnesses (vasculitis), and immunological problems such as IgA
nephropathy, which particularly affects the though only in the kidneys that filter
blood (glomeruli), can all cause glomerulonephritis.
Cancer. Urinary
blood may indicate advanced kidney, bladder, or prostate cancer. Unfortunately,
you may not notice any signs or symptoms in the early stages of many tumors,
when they are more treatable.
Disorders
inherited. Sickle cell anemia, a congenital hemoglobin deficiency in
red blood cells, results in blood in the urine, with both visible and
microscopic hematuria. Alport syndrome, which damages the filtration membranes
in the kidney's glomeruli, can also occur.
Kidney
disease. A blow to your kidneys or other injuries from an incident or
contact sports can result in noticeable blood in your urine.
Medications. Cyclophosphamide and penicillin, both anti-cancer
medications, can cause urine bleeding. If your take an anticoagulant, such as
aspirin or the blood thinner heparin, when you also have a disease that causes
your bladder to bleed, you may see visible urine blood.
High-intensity exercise. Strenuous activity rarely results in gross
hematuria, and the cause is unknown. It could be caused by bladder damage,
dehydration, or the breakdown of red blood cells caused by prolonged aerobic
exertion.
Runners are the most commonly affected, although anyone
might develop noticeable urine bleeding after such an intense exertion. If you
notice blood in your urine after exercising, don't assume it's from the activity.
Consult your physician.
Often, the cause of hematuria cannot be determined.
Risk
indicators
Red blood cells can be found in the urine of almost
everybody, including children and teenagers. The following factors make this
much more likely:
Age. Most
men over the age of 50 get hematuria occasionally as a result of an enlarged
prostate gland.
A new
infection. One of the most common causes of visible urine blood in
children is kidney inflammation following viral or bacterial infection
(post-infectious glomerulonephritis).
A
genealogy. If you've had a family history of kidney illness or kidney
stones, you may be more prone to urine bleeding.
Some
medicines. Urinary bleeding is known to be increased by aspirin,
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications, including antibiotics such as
penicillin.
Exercising
vigorously. Exercise-induced urine bleeding is notably common in
long-distance runners. In fact, the disorder is also known as jogger's
hematuria. However, anyone else who works out vigorously can acquire symptoms.
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