Symptom: Blood in the urine. Hematuria. Blood during urination in women and men.

Blood during urination in women is a symptom that appears due to injuries to the organs of the excretory system and various pathologies. It's called hematuria. It must be borne in mind that any change in urine color requires consultation with a doctor. Therefore, even if spotting appears only occasionally, do not neglect qualified medical care. This sign may indicate various diseases that occur in a latent form.

To get quality help, determine the causes of your illness and undergo treatment, contact a medical specialist in Belgorod. By following the recommendations of our doctors, you can improve your well-being and quality of life.

Urine formation

The excretory system is primarily necessary to filter the blood and remove metabolic products from the body.
The urine formed in the kidneys is the result of careful filtration of blood coming from the cardiovascular system: in the nephrons, harmful and ballast substances are released into the urine and the reverse transfer of useful substances (such as proteins and minerals) into the blood. As a result, a light yellow liquid with a specific chemical composition is formed. Substances contained in urine:

• various organic components, including glucose, uric acid, urea, ketone bodies, amino acids and creatinine;
• PMmineral substances in the form of ions: calcium, magnesium, chlorine and others;
• water is the main component of urine.

The organic components of urine are predominantly represented by nitrogenous compounds formed as a result of the breakdown of protein in the body. With an excess of nitrogenous compounds in the blood, we can sometimes talk about impaired renal function. The urine may also contain a moderate number of cells. Thus, normally no more than two red blood cells can be detected in urine (in the visible field).

Additional structures of the excretory system are involved in the removal of urine from the body. From the kidneys, fluid enters the ureters and is deposited in the bladder. During urination, fluid leaves the body through the urethra. The process of urination can also be affected by other organs that release their secretions through the urethra. These are the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, bulbourethral glands and testicles.

What is the urinary tract?

The urinary tract is the body's drainage system for removing waste and excess fluid. The urinary tract includes:

• two kidneys
• two ureters
• bladder
• urethra

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. Each day, the kidneys filter 120 to 150 liters of blood to produce 1 to 2 liters of urine, which consists of waste and excess fluid. Children produce less urine than adults. Urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The bladder stores urine until it is released through urination. When the bladder empties, urine flows out of the body through a tube called the urethra at the bottom of the bladder.

Causes of gross hematuria

The medical term for so-called gross hematuria is gross hematuria. The urine has a visible red or dark brown tint. This condition may indicate a dangerous pathological process in the body.

Main reasons

1. Kidney stones or the formation of stones in the bladder. Stones can form in the excretory system due to poor diet, primary kidney pathologies and other conditions. A large stone can damage the mucous membranes of organs and form small foci of hemorrhage.
2. Infection of kidney tissue. Pathogenic microorganisms can enter the kidney through the circulatory system and damage the nephrons. Symptoms of this disease usually include fever and back pain.
3. Infection of the lower urinary tract, that is, damage to the bladder or urethra by microorganisms. The appearance of an unpleasant odor in urine is a common sign of pathology.
4. Polycystic kidney disease. This is a dangerous disorder characterized by damage to kidney tissue.
5. Blockage of the renal vein as a result of thrombosis (blood clots in a vessel).
6. Various injuries. Physical damage to the urethra often occurs during prolonged catheterization.
7. Pathologies of the prostate gland. Blood in the urine can appear with an enlarged prostate (adenoma) and inflammatory processes in the tissues of the organ.
8. Oncological diseases. The growth of a malignant tumor in the tissues of the kidney, bladder, prostate or other genitourinary organs can be complicated by hematuria.

Careful visual examinations help quickly determine the cause of the disorder.

Causes of microhematuria

Externally imperceptible penetration of blood components into the urine can occur during inflammatory and infectious diseases.

Possible reasons:

1. Damage to the renal glomeruli due to autoimmune inflammation (glomerulonephritis) and other inflammatory kidney diseases.
2. Thin basement membrane disease. This is benign microhematuria caused by a slight impairment of blood filtration.
3. The formation of benign tumors (polyps) in the urethra or bladder.
4. Infectious diseases with a moderate course, usually without pain.

It is not always possible to clearly separate the etiology of microhematuria and macrohematuria. Certain pathological processes can lead to the penetration of varying amounts of blood into the urine. This is especially true for oncology, infection and trauma.

Risk factors

Urologists are aware of certain forms of predisposition to hematuria. These are pathologies, anomalies and various signs that affect the state of the human excretory system.

Main risk factors

1. Age. For many men, the presence of blood in the urine occurs at the age of 40-50 years as a result of an enlarged prostate gland.
2. Recent infection. The inflammatory process in tissues may persist for several days. Thus, post-infectious glomerulonephritis is a common cause of microhematuria in children.
3. Unfavorable family history. The presence of diseases of the excretory system in close relatives indicates an individual risk of developing hematuria.
4. Taking medications that affect the kidneys. These are aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.
5. Increased physical activity. Hematuria is especially common for people who prefer long-distance running.
6. Inflammation of the genital organs in women. Such ailments imply an increased risk of infection spreading into the excretory system.

Taking risk factors into account allows a person to prevent diseases of the excretory system.

Diagnosis of pathologies manifested by blood during urination

The range of diagnostic procedures prescribed by a doctor depends on the specific clinical case. Therefore, initially he collects a detailed medical history and clarifies your complaints. After this you may be assigned:

• general urine analysis;
• urine analysis according to Nechiporenko and Zimnitsky;
• ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs and kidneys;
• X-ray examination of the urinary tract;
• computed tomography;
• cystoscopy;
• magnetic resonance imaging;
• general and biochemical blood tests;
• tests for sexually transmitted infections.

Additional symptoms

Change in urine color is rarely the only symptom of the disease. Often, hematuria occurs against the background of pathological signs associated with the functioning of the kidneys and other organs.

Other signs:

• increase in body temperature;
• pain in the back, lower abdomen, or perineum;
• the appearance of an unpleasant odor in urine;
• change in urine volume (diuresis);
• difficulty urinating or urinating too frequently;
• dizziness;
• nausea and vomiting;
• weakness and fatigue;
• painful urination.

If such symptoms appear, you should make an appointment with a doctor. In case of an acute infectious process, the patient may require urgent treatment.

Glomerulonephritis

This disease causes damage to the vascular glomerulus of the kidneys, where the process of filtering urine takes place. During inflammation, the walls of the nephron become permeable and some of the blood enters the glomerulus, and the red blood cells acquire an irregular shape. It is on this basis that glomerulonephritis is quite easily diagnosed based on a urine test. The color of the urine becomes the “color of meat slop.”

Diagnostics

To undergo the examination, you must make an appointment with a urologist. During the consultation, the doctor will ask the patient about complaints and collect anamnestic information to identify risk factors for diseases. An initial examination sometimes reveals specific symptoms. To clarify the diagnosis, the urologist will need the results of instrumental and laboratory tests.

Necessary research

1. Additional general urine analysis. The doctor will need to make sure that other samples also contain abnormal numbers of red blood cells. In addition, it is important to study the chemical composition of the liquid.
2. Cystography is a visual examination of the inner lining of the bladder. The specialist inserts a thin tube equipped with a camera into the urethra. Using this method, stones, signs of damage or other changes can be detected.
3. Ultrasound examination of the genitourinary system. Using ultrasound, you can study the structure of organs in real time. Imaging of the kidneys, bladder, and prostate is usually done.
4. Additional visual examination methods, such as urography or computed tomography. Obtaining high-precision images gives the specialist the opportunity to detect even minor areas of hemorrhage.

The tests prescribed depend on the patient’s symptoms and individual medical history. Sometimes the doctor does other tests, such as a blood test or radionuclide kidney scan.

Why does blood appear when women urinate?

Most often, the symptom indicates the presence of fungal, viral and parasitic pathogens. Against the background of inflammation of the genitourinary system, blood clots occur during urination in women, as well as hematuria.

The color of urine may change due to menstrual flow. In addition, in the presence of hard deposits in the kidneys, hematuria often appears. As the stone passes through the organs of the excretory tract, they are traumatized, which is why hematuria is observed.

With severe physical exertion, you may experience bleeding. In this case, there is no discomfort; the phenomenon is short-term in nature. A reddish coloration of urine can occur when consuming certain dried fruits, beets, blackberries, and medications.

Hematuria may occur against the background of some gynecological diseases. It is also provoked by trauma, as well as recent cystoscopy. During diagnosis, a specialist may accidentally injure the mucous membrane of the urinary tract.

In some cases, pathologies are not accompanied by specific symptoms. For example, pyelonephritis can occur without burning, increased temperature and decreased overall tone of the body. And it is blood during urination that will be that alarming “bell”, when it appears, you need to consult a competent doctor as soon as possible.

Treatment

Hematuria is a clinical sign and not a disease. Accordingly, the doctor needs to accurately determine the cause of the disorder and select treatment for the corresponding disease. The main task is to restore the functions of the excretory system and eliminate dangerous conditions such as bleeding, infection or the growth of a malignant tumor.

Features of treatment tactics

1. Asymptomatic (isolated) hematuria usually does not require treatment.
2. In case of infection, antibiotics are first prescribed. In case of chronic bacterial infection, it is recommended to test the sensitivity of microflora to antibiotics to select effective medications.
3. Surgical intervention is most often prescribed for obstruction of the excretory tract by stones, tumors and anatomical defects of organs.
4. In most cases, patients require a special diet.

Thus, hematuria is a common symptom of diseases of the excretory system. In rare cases, this symptom does not indicate the presence of pathology. During the consultation, the urologist will be able to explain why there is blood in the urine.

Which doctors should I contact about blood in the urine?

To determine the causes of hematuria, diagnose the condition and treat it, you need to contact a general practitioner (pediatrician), gynecologist, urologist, or oncologist.

The diagnosis in patients with hematuria is established on the basis of a physical examination, history taking, gynecological examination (palpation of the pelvic organs) in women or digital rectal examination in men, laboratory tests of blood and urine, instrumental (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and endoscopic (cystoscopy) studies, kidney biopsy (patients with microscopic hematuria, high blood pressure, abnormal blood tests, family history of kidney failure, high levels of protein in the urine). If the cause of hematuria cannot be determined, the patient is recommended to undergo regular follow-up examinations, especially if there are risk factors for malignant neoplasms, work with toxic substances, or a history of radiation therapy.

If hematuria is caused by a urinary tract infection, antibiotic therapy is prescribed; for urolithiasis, drug therapy or surgery is recommended; if a malignant neoplasm is detected, the patient is referred to an oncologist. Hematuria not associated with the development of any disease does not require treatment.