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Blood in Urine (Hematuria)
The medical name for having blood in your urine is hematuria (hee-muh-TOOR-ee-uh).
How will I know if I have hematuria?
Hematuria may cause your urine to look pink, red or brown. But you may have blood in your urine that can’t see. In this case, your doctor will need to look at a sample of your urine under a microscope to see the blood cells. This is why a urine test is part of a regular checkup.
What causes hematuria?
Many conditions can cause you to have blood in your urine. Some causes include:
Talk to your doctor to find out what is causing blood to be in your urine. He or she may ask for urine samples and blood tests to help find the cause. If your doctor cannot find the cause of your hematuria through these tests, he or she may also suggest an imaging test to get a picture of your urinary tract.
In some cases, 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?
The treatment for hematuria will depend on what is causing it. Talk to your doctor about what is causing the blood in your urine and what treatment is right for you.
Revised 12/10.
© Copyright 2010 American Kidney Fund. | 
