Can blood in urine go away on its own?
Introduction
Can blood in urine (hematuria) go away on its own? The answer is yes, but when asking this question, there are several different factors to consider. For instance, hematuria can have different possible causes, which is why it’s important to meet with a healthcare provider to determine what may or may not be effecting the urinary system. Even if you only see a small amount of blood, it’s important to get yourself checked out.
Hematuria (red blood cells in urine) can be linked to a variety of things, including blood thinners, high blood pressure, or menstruation. Hematuria can also be a sign of vigorous exercise, an infection, a medication side effect (such as cyclophosphamide), or a sign of different forms of cancer. It’s also possible for hematuria to be a result of kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, or a potential urinary tract infection. Blood in urine can even effect your ureters, the duct your urine passes through when traveling from the kidneys to the bladder or cloaca. For these reasons, though hematuria can resolve on its own, you’ll still see the suggestion to go see a doctor just to be safe. Doing so will help you rule out any serious conditions such as cancers, sickle cell disease, tumors, or pyelonephritis.
Reasons to see the Doctor
Because blood in one’s urine can be caused by either minor or major issues, it’s important for a person to see a doctor in order to determine the underlying cause. Even if a person only sees blood in their urine once, it’s important for them not to dismiss what happens, since it may be a sign of a greater issue. A physical exam, blood tests, and a doctor’s examining what the urine looks like will assist in determining what is causing the issue, and whether the patient should be referred to a urologist.
It’s also important to note that though it’s a common practice for someone to drink a lot of water if they see blood in their urine, drinking water won’t resolve the issue. It will only help to flush the blood out of your system while your body makes more urine.
Visiting a Doctor
When going to see your doctor, you can help them with their diagnosis by sharing the color and amount of blood you’ve seen. Your diagnosis will be different depending on whether your blood is pink or bright red. Your doctor will order a urine test It’s also a good sign if you are able to see through the urine. But there may be a reason for greater concern if you see several blood clots in your urine or if the blood is thick enough where you can’t see through it.
Blood in one’s urine is not always visible to the naked eye. Because of this factor, it’s important for a person to have their urine tested when receiving an annual physical. The patient also needs to know to request a microscopic urine analysis rather than a dipstick urine analysis. The microscopic examine requires for the doctor to look at your urine under a microscope whereas the dipstick urine analysis only dips a chemical strip into a sample of your urine to test for abnormalities. These tests can help determine if your bloody urine is a result of bladder stones, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, or high blood pressure. These tests will also help determine if a patient needs a follow-up or should be referred to a urologist.
Urology focuses on studying medicine and physiology concerned with the function and disorders of the urinary system.
Apart from these initial standard tests, if you’re showing signs of gross hematuria, your doctor will most likely also order for you to complete a cystoscopy and a CT scan. The cystoscopy will enable your doctor to examine your bladder and its internal lining and a CT scan will check for any masses in your urinary tract.
Depending on what your doctor finds, they will most likely ask for more of your medical history to determine other potential contributing factors. A history of smoking, being exposed to certain dyes, or a family history of kidney infections, glomerulonephritis, can all increase the chances of blood appearing in your urine.
Key Causes of Blood in Urine
Taking a closer look at some of the key causes of hematuria can allow a person to know not only what is causing the blood, but also its greater effect on the body. Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) occur when bacteria get into the tube of the urethra. The bacteria multiply in the bladder and cause bleeding that is red, pink, or brown in color. With a UTI you may also experience a stronger urge to be and a burning sensation when you do pee.
A bladder or kidney stone are also able to cause hematuria. They result when minerals in urine form crystals on the walls of the kidneys or bladder. Thes stones are typically painless, but they can cause a person to hurt greatly if they either cause a blockage or leave the body through urine.
Another common cause of blood in urine is an enlarged prostate. Typically, in middle age, the prostrate grows in grows in size, and begins putting more pressure on the urethra. This pressure, in turn, can cause a variety of problems including trouble peeing, an urgent need to pee, or blood in the urine. An infection of the prostate (called prostatitis) is also able to cause similar symptoms.
Kidney disease is another cause of blood in urine. However, in this instance, the blood can only be seen when viewed in a lab. Hematuria related to kidney disease can occur on its own or be a part of a larger condition such as diabetes.
When blood in the urine can be seen with the naked eye it can be a sign of advanced kidney, bladder, or prostrate. It’s for these reasons if a person experiences hematuria, a doctor will conduct a urinalysis and other tests to rule out the possibility of cancer.
Hematuria can also be caused by inherited illnesses. Both sickle cell anemia and and Alport syndrome are able to cause blood in urine.
An injury to one’s kidneys from an accident or contact sport is able to cause blood in urine.
As alluded to earlier, particular medicines are also able to cause blood in urine. The anti-cancer drug Cytoxan as well as penicillin are linked to blood in urine. Even aspirin and heparin have been known to cause hematuria from time to time.
Strenuous exercise and sports can also be a cause of blood in urine. In football, blood in urine can be caused by enduring a bladder injury. Marathons and long-distance running have also been linked to hematuria, but the reasons why aren’t as clear.
Outside of these different causes, blood in urine can also occur due to the different chemicals and dyes someone is frequently exposed to in their workplace. These chemicals and dyes cause the lining of the bladder and urinary tract to become irritated and inflamed, which later leads to microscopic bleeding.
Hematuria Caused by Physical Trauma
Blood in urine can also be caused by physical trauma or an accident. If the kidneys or bladder receive a heavy blow, it’s possible for it to cause hematuria. If an injury is the cause of hematuria, then it will typically resolve itself with time and rest. However, if the bleeding continues, it’s more likely that the person will need to have surgery in order to stop the bleeding.
Signs and Symptoms of Hematuria
There are two types of hematuria. Gross hematuria can be seen with the naked eye, but microscopic hematuria can only be seen under a microscope. it’s important to be aware of signs any symptoms related to hematuria. You should keep an eye out for any changes in your peeing habits, signs of infection, or take note if you have any pain in your abdomen, lower back, and flanks.
If you do experience any of these symptoms and they feel severe, it’s better to go to urgent care than to try to wait until you can schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Testing for Blood in Urine
A quick at-home Ribbon Checkup urine test can tell you if you have blood in your urine. You simply pee on the test trip, take a picture of the test strip with your phone, and it will analyze the strip to let you know if you have traces of blood appearing in your urine.
What Doesn’t Cause Blood in Urine
Though it’s important to know the different causes of blood in urine, it’s also important to know what does not cause blood in urine. At times, dehydration can cause difficulties and complications for the body, however, it cannot lead to blood in the urine. Also, eating beets, rhubarb, and certain berries are able to cause the color of your urine, but they cannot cause for blood to appear in your urine.
It’s also important to note that your treatment will depend on what your doctor determines to be the underlying cause of your hematuria. The treatment you’d receive for bladder cancer would be very different from having overexerted yourself during exercise.
Risk Factors
It’s also important to consider the different risk factors that can increase the chances of finding blood in urine. For instance, middle-aged and older men are may be more likely to experience hematuria due to an enlarged prostrate. As men age, their risk of getting particular cancers continues to rise as well.
A person’s chance of discovering blood in their urine also increases if one or more of their family members have had a history of kidney disease.
Key Takeaways
Blood in urine can go away on its own. Drinking water can also flush blood out of one’s urine, but that doesn’t mean it resolves the issue.
Because hematuria can occur for a variety of reasons, it’s best to see a doctor to determine what might be going on. Some issues with hematuria may be easy to recover from, whereas other issues can be more problematic and require you to see a specialist.
References
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Mayo Clinic - Hematuria (Blood in Urine)
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National Kidney Foundation - Hematuria
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American Urological Association - Hematuria
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Cleveland Clinic - Blood in Urine
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WebMD - Hematuria (Blood in Urine)
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Urology Care Foundation - Hematuria
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Healthline – 9 Causes of Blood in Urine
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