What is Hematuria?

Hematuria is the presence of blood in your urine, and though it may alarm you at first, there are often benign reasons for this occurrence.  Yet, blood in urine can be a sign of a serious medical condition; nonetheless, it shouldn’t be ignored. All cases of Hematuria should be evaluated by an urologist who can order tests to verify or rule out a primary cause.  The most common symptoms of Hematuria include blood clots or red, pin, orange or brown color in urine.

Hematuria Tests

Most causes of blood in the urine are not serious, but some may be. Your urologist may order one or more of these tests:
•    Urinalysis: to test for a possible urinary tract infection or kidney disease

•    Blood test:  to test for kidney disease

•    Kidney imaging studies: to test for a tumor, kidney or bladder stone, inflamed or enlarged prostate, or obstruction to urine flow

•    Cystoscopic examination: to check for a tumor or kidney stones
Frequent causes of blood in urine include:
•    Infections of the bladder or kidneys

•    Bladder or kidney stones

•    Certain inflammatory kidney diseases

•    An enlarged prostate (prostatis)  or prostate cancer

•    Diseases such as sickle cell anemia and kidney disease

•     Medications such as aspirin, an antibiotic or heparin

•    A tumor of the kidneys, bladder, or prostate

•    Injury of the kidneys due to an accident or sports

•    Vigorous exercise-in some cases people who engage in athletic training can experience Hematuria

Treatment of Hematuria

Treatment is aimed at the primary cause. After treatment, your urologist will recheck your urine to see if the blood is still present. If you continue to have blood in your urine, you may need additional tests. Usually, no treatment is required unless a serious condition is causing the Hematuria.

Consult a Doctor

If no primary cause is found during the preliminary evaluation, you may be advised to have follow-up urine testing and blood pressure monitoring every three to six months, especially if you have possible risk factors for bladder cancer, such as being over the age of 50,  cigarette smoking, or daily contact with certain industrial chemicals.

Call us today to set up a prompt appointment with the best urologist in NYC, because even if you only see blood once in the urine, it is important for your health and well being to have it checked out, and be sure to inform our staff about the blood when you call.

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