What is hematuria
Do you notice blood in your urine? If so, you may be experiencing hematuria, a medical condition that should not be taken lightly.
Hematuria can affect people of all ages. It is not a disease but a symptom. If you have hematuria, then you could have a serious underlying medical condition that needs immediate medical treatment. Let us explore the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for hematuria.
Hematuria may be caused by many problems
For blood to mix with urine, some part of your urinary tract must be injured, damaged or affected by disease. Some of the common causes of hematuria are urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder or kidney cancer, inherited or acquired blood clotting disorders, inflammation of the bladder, urethra, or prostate, trauma to the urinary tract, and medications that affect blood clotting.
Hematuria is often accompanied by other symptoms.
If you are experiencing hematuria, you may also experience pain or discomfort during urination, frequent and urgent urination, abdominal pain, fever and chills, and back pain. These uncomfortable symptoms are common for a number of urinary tract problems. Don’t wait to see if they resolve by themselves, but consult a urologist at the earliest. Whether the condition is serious or simple, early medical intervention will prevent complications and save you a lot of pain.
Diagnosing the cause of hematuria
Remember, hematuria is a symptom and not a disease. To cure the condition, the cause must be determined. A series of tests and examinations will help diagnose the cause.
You will first undergo a physical exam. You will also have to give your medical history and the duration of the symptoms.
A urine test will be done to check for presence of blood in urine. If present, then a urine culture may be done to detect infection or a urine cytology may be done to detect if you have cancer.
You may also need imaging tests such as ultrasound or CT scan to check for abnormalities or blockages in the urinary tract.
A cystoscopy may sometime be ordered. During this test, a small camera is inserted through the urethra to examine the urinary tract and bladder.
Once the underlying cause of hematuria is determined, the most appropriate treatment plan is developed to address the issue and prevent further complications.
Hematuria is treated by treating the cause.
There is no treatment specifically for hematuria. The treatment will depend on the cause of the condition. We offer the following treatments for hematuria at Zymus Hospital.
If you have a UTI (urinary tract infection), you will be prescribed antibiotics to clear infection.
If you have kidney stones you will be given medicines to relax the urinary tract to allow the stone to pass through. If the stones are larger, they will not be able to pass through the urinary tract easily. Then, you may need shockwave lithotripsy to break them down into smaller pieces to they can be flushed out of your body.
If you have cancerous tumors, you will need cancer treatment. You will be given either chemotherapy, onco-surgery or radiation, or a combination of more than treatments as required.
If you have blood clotting disorders, medication may be prescribed.
Pain relievers may also be prescribed to alleviate symptoms.
In addition, you may also need to make lifestyle modifications such as increasing fluid intake and reducing caffeine and alcohol consumption.
If you experience hematuria, don’t delay consulting our expert urologist. Whatever the cause, we can diagnose it and provide the best treatment to help protect your urinary tract health.
