Hematuria, or blood in the urine, is a symptom that can cause concern, as it can often be a sign of a health problem. Although not always serious, it is essential to understand what may be causing it.
What are the main causes?
- Urinary tract infection: Infections in the bladder, kidneys, or urethra are common causes of hematuria. They are often accompanied by symptoms such as painful urination, urgent or frequent urination, and fever.1
- Kidney stones: Kidney stones can damage the walls of the urinary tract, causing bleeding. This type of hematuria is usually accompanied by severe pain in the lower back or abdomen.
- Kidney diseases: Conditions such as glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidney filters) can cause blood in the urine, as well as other symptoms like swelling, high blood pressure, and fatigue.2
- Trauma or injury: Blows to the abdominal area or lower back can damage the kidneys or bladder and cause bleeding.3
- Prostate problems: In men, benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate) and prostate cancer can also cause blood in the urine.
- Urinary tract cancer: Blood in the urine is one of the main symptoms of kidney, bladder, or urethra cancer, especially in people over 50.4
When should you consult a healthcare specialist?
Seeing blood in the urine is not always a serious condition, but there are certain situations and symptoms that require medical attention, including:
- Visible blood in the urine (red, pink, or brown urine)
- Severe pain in the back or lower abdomen
- Fever
- Difficulty urinating or, conversely, an urgent need to urinate
- Unexplained fatigue or swelling in the legs or ankles.
What types of treatments are there?
Treatment will depend on the cause of the hematuria.
If it is due to a urinary tract infection, you may be prescribed antibiotics and also a food supplement that acidifies the urinary pH to enhance its action, such as Metiofitina®. If this is a recurring problem for you, products that act at the root of the problem, such as Utipro® Plus AF, may be recommended.
If it involves kidney stones, treatment may include pain-relieving medication and also the recommendation to use Lit-Control® products to improve and maintain your urinary well-being.
Sources:
*1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447
*2 https://www.kidney.org/es/recursos-en-espanol
*3 https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/urotrauma-guideline
*4 https://www.cancer.org/es/cancer/tipos/cancer-de-vejiga.html
