What is Hematuria?
Hematuria is the presence of blood in urine. There are two types of hematuria, and those are gross (visible to the naked eye) and microscopic (only visible under a microscope), the latter of which is identified through lab testing. If you see blood in your urine, it is always a good idea to check with a provider to identify possible causes.
What are Some Possible Causes of Hematuria?
Several problems could be the root cause for the leakage of blood into the urinary tract, which include:
- **Less harmful conditions, such as female menstruation, sexual activity, trauma, dehydration, vigorous exercise, bladder/kidney/ureter stones, trauma, sexually transmitted diseases, medications, viral infections, or bladder/kidney/urinary tract infections.
- Other more serious causes may be an enlarged prostate, blood clots, liver diseases, polycystic kidney disease, sickle cell disease, blood disorders, kidney/bladder cancer, or inflammation of the kidney, urethra, prostate, or bladder.
**Note that some foods (examples include beets, food coloring, rhubarb, some medicines) can make the urine appear an abnormal color. This is not considered hematuria.
See Rezum , Greenlight Laser , and Urine Infection Detection for more details on how we address causes of hematuria. Schedule an appointment today with one of our healthcare providers at ASUI to help you gain back control of your bladder!