Hematuria: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Urine may appear pink, red or brown, but foods and medicines can also change its color. Testing confirms blood rather than relying on appearance or assuming infection.

Related reading: Bladder stones as a cause of urinary bleeding.

There may be no other symptoms, or burning, frequency or flank pain may occur. Clots or difficulty emptying the bladder change urgency and should be reported.

Causes include urinary infection, stones, prostate enlargement, kidney disease, injury and sometimes urinary cancers. Menstrual contamination may require a correctly collected repeat sample.

Age, smoking, occupational exposures, kidney disease and urinary history influence investigation. Aspirin or anticoagulant use does not exempt someone from assessment for an underlying cause.

Evaluation begins with microscopy, history and examination, sometimes adding culture and kidney-function tests. Imaging and cystoscopy depend on risk. Some low-risk microscopic cases warrant repeat urinalysis instead of immediate extensive investigation.

Treatment targets the cause, not automatic antibiotics for red urine. After treating infection, follow the plan to confirm bleeding resolves. Blood-thinner use does not remove the need for evaluation or justify stopping it independently.

Severe bleeding can cause anemia or clot obstruction. Delayed investigation can miss a treatable condition. Persistent or recurring blood needs review even after previously reassuring tests.

No diet prevents every cause. Stopping smoking and following cause-specific care and monitoring can help. Drinking water cannot replace assessment of unexplained bleeding.