Bloody Urine?—Hematuria

Hermina friends, have you ever heard of someone or experienced urine containing an unusual color or bloody urine? This condition is characterized by a change in the color of the urine to brownish or reddish due to the presence of blood mixed in the urine.

 

Bloody urine, also known as hematuria, is made up of blood cells or blood present in the urine. The discovery of blood in the urine is an abnormal condition, either macroscopically or microscopically. Microscopically marked by the color of urine, it looks clear, but there are blood cells found in urine examination through a microscope. Macroscopic is clearly visible to the eye because there is a change in the color of urine to reddish, brownish, or bright red. This case is more common because patients can recognize it immediately.

 

Causes of Hematuria

Hematuria can be caused by various factors but is generally caused by diseases related to the urinary tract or kidneys, among others:

1. Urinary tract infection. Infection occurs when bacteria enter through the urethra and multiply in the bladder. This condition, in addition to causing hematuria, will also cause sufferers to have a continuous urge to urinate, pain when urinating, and smelly urine.
2. Kidney infection. It occurs when bacteria enter the kidneys through the bloodstream in the kidneys, causing an infection.
3. Cancers such as kidney cancer, bladder cancer, and prostate cancer are at risk of triggering hematuria in sufferers.
4. Side effects of medications. Taking drugs such as Cytoxan or penicillin for a long time can increase the risk of hematuria, or red blood cells in the urine.
5. And kidney injury is also one of the appearances of red blood cells in the urine. Because it usually occurs after trauma or invasive actions in the kidney area.

 

Risk Factors for Hematuria

There are several factors that can increase the likelihood of a person experiencing hematuria, including, as follows:

• age over 50 years.
• having a family history of hematuria.
• the effect of taking drugs, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics,  in the long term.
• doing strenuous activities.
• exposure to radiation or certain chemicals.
• and have a smoking habit.

 

Symptoms of Hematuria

Hematuria has symptoms such as bright red, brownish, and reddish urine. But sometimes, the sufferer cannot see blood in the urine. Only laboratory tests can find red blood cells in the urine. In addition, the patient may not have any other symptoms.

Hematuria with symptoms will lead to several conditions, such as:

• Pain during urination
• Pain in the waist and abdomen
• increased frequency of urination
• fever, nausea, and vomiting

 

Diagnosis of Hematuria

If you experience signs of hematuria symptoms, do not hesitate to visit the nearest hospital so that the symptoms experienced can be immediately identified. For diagnosis, the doctor will first ascertain the medical history.

Furthermore, a physical examination will be carried out to determine the cause of the symptoms, and the doctor will carry out various other examinations, such as:

• Urine Test
• CT-Scan
• ULTRASOUND
• Cystoscopy
• Kidney Biopsy

 

Therefore, it is necessary to be aware that the presence of red blood cells in the urine can be one of the signs of a serious illness. If you experience symptoms that resemble hematuria, do not hesitate to consult a doctor.