What Causes Small Blood Clots in Urine

 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.