Blood in urine

Blood present in your urine is called haematuria. It may be obvious when this happens as it will cause your urine to be coloured red or pink. However, if smaller amounts of blood are being leaked, the urine may appear just cloudy.

The most common cause of blood stained urine is an infection of the ‘waterworks' or urinary tract, but blood can leak from an abnormality situated anywhere along the path urine travels from the kidney - the ureters which connect kidney to bladder, the bladder, the prostate in men, to the urethra which carries urine from the bladder to the exterior.

Conditions such as kidney stones, cysts, kidney tumours, infections anywhere along the course of urine flow, prostatitis in men, cystitis and bladder papillomas (warts and bladder cancer) all have to be ruled out.

Blood stained urine must never be ignored, nor must any infection. Investigations may include scans and special X rays where dyes outline the urinary tract and its blood vessels. Cystoscopy involves looking directly into the bladder, via the urethra.

This article was published on Fri 12 March 2010