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Blood in Urine (Hematuria)
What is hematuria?
What causes hematuria?
How will I know if I have hematuria?
How is it treated?
More Information
What is hematuria?
Hematuria (hee-muh-TOOR-ee-uh) means having blood in your urine. There are two kinds of hematuria:
What causes hematuria?
Blood in your urine can be caused by many conditions. Often, the cause is harmless. For example, exercise can cause hematuria that will go away in a day or so. Other causes, like urinary tract infections (UTIs) or kidney stones, are only serious if they are left untreated. Still, blood in your urine might be a sign of a more serious problem.
Talk to your doctor to find out what is causing your hematuria. He or she will probably ask for another urine sample. If there is still blood in your urine, you may be asked to give a blood sample so that the doctor can check how well your kidneys are working. These tests can also tell your doctor whether or not you have an infection.
If your doctor suspects kidney damage or cannot find a cause for the blood in your urine, he or she may suggest an ultrasound or intravenous pyelogram (IVP) to get a picture of your urinary tract. This can show if you have a kidney stone, tumor or blockage.
Sometimes the cause for hematuria is never found.
How will I know if I have hematuria?
If you have macrohematuria, the blood will make your urine look red or brown.
If you have microhematuria, you will not be able to see the blood in your urine. In this case, your doctor will need to look at a sample of your urine under a microscope to see the blood cells. For this reason, urine tests are part of regular checkups.
How is it treated?
Because there are many causes of hematuria, there are also many treatments. Talk to your doctor about what is causing the blood in your urine and what treatment is right for you.
More Information
American Academy of Family Physicians
"Microscopic Hematuria"
http://familydoctor.org/467.xml
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
"Hematuria (Blood in the Urine)"
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/hematuria/
National Kidney Foundation
"Hematuria in Children"
http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=154
Updated 1/10/2008 | 
