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Does Kidney Infection Cause Blood In Urine

How Is Blood In The Urine Diagnosed

Blood in Urine (Haematuria) – Causes, Types and Treatments

Your doctor will review your medical history and do a physical exam. Other tests may include:

  • Urinalysis. Urine is tested for various cells and chemicals, such as red and white blood cells, germs, or too much protein.
  • Blood tests. Blood is checked for high levels of waste products.

If these tests arent clear you may need other tests, such as:

  • Intravenous pyelogram . A series of X-rays of the kidney, ureters , and bladder is done after a contrast dye is injected into a vein. This is done to look for tumors, kidney stones, or any blockages, and to check blood flow in the kidneys.
  • Ultrasound. An imaging test that uses high-frequency sound waves to make images of the organs of the urinary tract on a computer screen.
  • Cystoscopy. A thin, flexible tube and viewing device, is put in through the urethra to examine the parts of the urinary tract for structure changes or blockages, such as tumors or stones.

How Do You Get Urinary Tract Infections

The design of the human body makes it so it isnt difficult to get a bacterial UTI, because the infection comes from outside, through the urethra. ;Bacteria in the genital area can enter the urethra and the urinary tract, either because;wiping after going to the bathroom, sexual activity, or unsanitary conditions. Once the bacteria has entered the urethra, the body tries its best to fight it off, but sometimes the immune system cant do this, the bacteria multiply, and cause the infection.

In the case of a fungal infection, usually the fungus gets to the urinary tract through the blood stream. Those who develop this type of infection are usually ill with a disease that has compromised their immune system, such as AIDS.

In general, women get more UTIs than do men and this increases with age. Statistics show that many women get more than one. Almost 20% of women who have had one UTI will go on to have a second. Of this 20%, 30% of those will have a third, and in turn, 80% of these women will have more.

What Happens During A Blood In Urine Test

Your health care provider will need to collect a sample of your urine. During your office visit, you will receive a container to collect the urine and special instructions to make sure that the sample is sterile. These instructions are often called the “clean catch method.” It includes the following steps:

  • Wash your hands.
  • Clean your genital area with a cleansing pad given to you by your provider. Men should wipe the tip of their penis. Women should open their labia and clean from front to back.
  • Start to urinate into the toilet.
  • Move the collection container under your urine stream.
  • Collect at least an ounce or two of urine into the container, which should have markings to indicate the needed amounts.
  • Finish urinating into the toilet.
  • Return the sample container as instructed by your health care provider.
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    Hematuria: Blood In The Urine

    Blood in the urine should never be ignored. This could be the first sign of a serious condition. In order to help your doctor with the correct diagnosis, you may try to provide details such as:

    • Was it associated with pain?
    • Did you see blood clots?
    • What shape did the clots have?
    • The color of the blood
    • At what time during urination did you see blood in the urine ?

    Blood in the urine can present in one of two ways:

    • Gross hematuria
    • Microscopic hematuria .

    Both types can have serious causes.

    What Colour Should Horses Wee Be

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    Normal horse urine is most frequently yellow to near colourless but can often appear creamy coloured; this may be seen just at the start or the end of the stream and occasionally throughout. This change is due to the presence of calcium carbonate crystals in the urine, which is quite normal in horses.

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    How Long Does A Uti Last

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    If you have a UTI, its best to get it treated right away before any complications develop . Its possible for a UTI to get better on its own, but most of the time, it wont. While home remedies can help ease some of the discomfort, a doctor can prescribe you an antibiotic that is a much quicker and more effective treatment. An antibiotic will start working immediately and, depending on how complicated your UTI is, may clear it up in a matter of days. Be sure to always take your medication how your doctor prescribes.

    Treating Whats Causing Blood In Your Urine

    Treatment for blood in urine will depend on what medical condition is causing the hematuria. For example, if you have a urinary tract infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. If you have an enlarged prostate, your doctor may prescribe medication to shrink it.

    For bladder or kidney stones, your doctor may use shock wave treatment, known as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. They may remove the stone by inserting a scope through the urethra, or they may recommend surgery.

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    Some Other Reasons For Red

    Apart from the causes mentioned above, some other reasons for red-colored urine are:

    • Eating certain foods beets, rhubarb, and blackberries may turn urine pink or red. Similarly, eating large quantities of fava beans or aloe may also make your urine dark brown.
    • Taking certain medicines such as rifampin, sulfasalazine, phenazopyridine, and laxatives containing senna may also make the color of your urine red.
    • Orange-colored urine may indicate that there is a problem in your bile ducts or liver, especially if light-colored stools accompany it.
    • In rare instances, muscle injury due to strenuous exercise may lead to the occurrence of cola- or pink-colored urine.

    Blood clots in urine may indicate many serious health issues as already discussed, so they need immediate examination by a doctor in all cases. Furthermore, anyone with visible hematuria should also visit their doctor immediately to determine the cause.

    You should get a medical evaluation even if:

    • No other symptoms are present
    • You saw blood in your urine only once
    • Only a small quantity of blood is present in the urine
    • You cant tell for sure whether it is blood or not

    Moreover, you should visit a doctor if you have the following symptoms along with blood in urine:

    • Painful urination

    How Are Urinary Tract Infections Diagnosed

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    Your doctor will use the following tests to diagnose a urinary tract infection:

    • Urinalysis: This test will examine the urine for red blood cells, white blood cells and bacteria. The number of white and red blood cells found in your urine can actually indicate an infection.
    • Urine culture: A urine culture is used to determine the type of bacteria in your urine. This is an important test because it helps determine the appropriate treatment.

    If your infection does not respond to treatment or if you keep getting infections over and over again, your doctor may use the following tests to examine your urinary tract for disease or injury:

    • Ultrasound: In this test, sound waves create an image of the internal organs. This test is done on top of your skin, is painless and doesnt typically need any preparation.
    • Cystoscopy: This test uses a special instrument fitted with a lens and a light source to see inside the bladder from the urethra.
    • CT scan: Another imaging test, a CT scan is a type of X-ray that takes cross sections of the body . This test is much more precise than typical X-rays.

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    Ok So How Do I Make Sure I Never Get A Uti Or A Kidney Infection

    As they say, prevention is the best cure! And there are many things you can do to ensure that youre reducing your risk for an infection, and preventing build up from occurring in the kidneys.;

    • Practice good hygiene. Always wipe from front to back, keep your genital area clean, wash before and after sex. Basically, do your best to keep bacteria from even having a chance of getting into the urinary system in the first place.

    • Drink lots of water. If youre dehydrated, youre not only increasing your chance of a UTI, but youre also decreasing your urine output, meaning that more minerals have a chance to build up and settle in the urinary tract or kidneys.

    • Make sure to urinate whenever you feel you have to go. Dont hold it in. This concentrates the urine allowing bacteria to build up and spread.

    • Alter your diet if you find youre prone to kidney stones. Cut down on certain meats and shellfish and opting instead for more vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Avoid consuming too much sugar. Cut back on sodium, and eat more oxalate-rich foods .

    And if you do start experiencing any of the symptoms above, be sure to see a doctor right away. UTIs, kidney infections, and kidney stones can usually be treated fairly easily, but its important to seek medical attention before any complications develop.

    What Is Blood In Urine

    Blood in your urine can look red, pink or brown. Sometimes, you may not know you have blood in your urine until you have a urine test. A urine test may also find white blood cells, which can be a sign of an infection in your kidneys or another part of your urinary tract.Be sure to tell your doctor if you have blood in your urine so they can decide what to do next.If you notice a lot of blood, or any blood clots in your urine, contact your doctor right away.

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    Complications Of Kidney Infections

    Most kidney infections are treated successfully without complications, although some people may develop further problems.

    Complications of a kidney infection are rare, but you’re more likely to;develop them if you:

    • are a child
    • rapid heartbeat
    • breathlessness

    Blood poisoning;is a medical emergency that usually requires admission to a hospital;intensive care unit while antibiotics are used to fight the infection.

    If you’re taking certain medications for diabetes, such as metformin or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, they may be temporarily withdrawn until you recover. This is because they can cause kidney damage during an episode of blood poisoning.

    What If The Infection Does Not Clear Up With Treatment

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    Most infections clear up with treatment.; However, if an infection does not clear up, or if you have repeated infections, you may be given some special tests such as:

    • a type of x-ray called an intravenous pyleogram , which involves injecting a dye into a vein and taking pictures of your kidney and bladder

    • an ultrasound exam, which gives a picture of your kidneys and bladder using sound waves

    • a cytoscopic exam, which uses a hollow tube with special lenses to look inside the bladder.

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    How Is The Cause Of Hematuria Diagnosed

    If youre seeing your doctor for hematuria, theyll ask you about the amount of blood and when you see it during urination. Theyll want to know how often you urinate, any pain youre experiencing, if you see blood clots, and what medications youre taking.

    Your doctor will then give you a physical examination and collect a sample of your urine for testing. The analysis of your urine can confirm the presence of blood and detect bacteria if an infection is the cause.

    Your doctor may order imaging tests such as a CT scan, which uses radiation to create an image of your body.

    Another possible test your doctor may want to do is a cystoscopy. This involves using a small tube to send a camera up your urethra and into your bladder. With the camera, your doctor can examine the interior of your bladder and urethra to determine the cause of your hematuria.

    Key Points About Blood In Urine

    • Blood in the urine means there are red blood cells in the urine. Often, the urine looks normal. But when checked under a microscope, it contains a high number of red blood cells. In some cases, the urine is pink, red, or the color of tea, which can be seen without the use of a microscope.
    • Most of the causes of blood in the urine are not serious. For example, in some cases, strenuous exercise will cause blood in the urine.
    • Some more serious causes of blood in the urine are cancer, infection, enlarged prostate , kidney or bladder stones, and certain diseases .
    • Blood in the urine can often be diagnosed with urine tests. If these are not clear, imaging tests may be needed to look at the urinary tract.
    • Treatment depends on the cause of the blood in the urine.

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    How Is Hematuria Diagnosed

    The doctor will do an exam and ask about symptoms, recent activities, and the family medical history. Your child will give a urine sample for testing.

    Sometimes, more tests are done, such as a:

    • blood test

    Kids with hematuria that doesn’t go away, who have protein in the urine, and/or high blood pressure should see a nephrologist .

    What Are The Causes Of Blood In Urine

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    There are many possible causes for blood in urine including:

    Urinary infection

    This is by far the most common cause of haematuria, particularly in young women. It can also be referred to as a urinary tract infection . If blood in urine coincides with symptoms of cystitis and disappears a few days after the infection is treated by your GP, no further tests are usually carried out. The other symptoms of cystitis are:

    • burning feeling on passing water
    • feeling the need to pass urine more often
    • feeling that the bladder has not been emptied
    • sometimes a fever and feeling unwell.

    Kidney stones

    Bleeding may occur when a kidney stone is being passed. This can often be accompanied by an attack of severe pain from the loins , across the abdomen and into the groin.

    Large stones inside the kidney may also cause very slight bleeding. This can usually only be detected by the dipstick test.

    Tumours in the bladder or kidney

    Bladder and kidney tumours tend to become more common with increasing age, so haematuria in anyone over 40 requires further investigation.

    Glomerulonephritis

    Glomerulonephritis is a general term for several conditions involving damage to the kidney filters. It is the most common cause of blood in the urine of children and young adults, but it can occur at any age.

    Polycystic kidney disease

    Blood disorders

    Blood clotting abnormalities can cause haematuria, but the haematuria shouldnt be put down to the blood clotting problem without a check for other causes.

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    Are You Sure You Have Blood In Your Urine

    Other factors can cause your urine to change colour. Before you read further, it is worth considering if any;other things could be causing the colour change, such as:

    • Certain foods including beetroot which can turn your urine pinkish.
    • Some medicines, such as the antibiotics nitrofurantoin and rifampicin, which can turn your urine red or brown.
    • Menstrual blood mixing with urine which can cause it to turn pinkish.

    If you are uncertain of the cause of the change of colour of your urine, see your doctor.;

    Upset Stomach Nausea Vomiting

    Why this happens:

    A severe build-up of wastes in the blood can also cause nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss.

    What patients said:

    I had a lot of itching, and I was nauseated, throwing up all the time. I couldn’t keep anything down in my stomach.

    When I got the nausea, I couldn’t eat and I had a hard time taking my blood pressure pills.

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    What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Hematuria

    Microscopic hematuria has no visible signs. Doctors will only know someone has it if a urine test finds it.

    Gross hematuria is seen because it changes the color of urine, which can happen with only a little bit of blood. Often, red or tea-colored urine is the only symptom.

    In some cases, hematuria can be one of many symptoms of another condition. For example, if a bladder infection is causing the hematuria, other symptoms might include fever, pain while peeing, and lower belly pain.

    Whats The Difference Between A Urinary Tract Infection And Bladder Infection

    Hematuria: What Causes Blood in Urine?

    A urinary tract infection is a more general type of infection. There are many parts of your urinary tract. A UTI is a term for an infection that takes place throughout the urinary tract. A bladder infection, also called cystitis, is a specific infection. In this infection, bacteria makes its way into the bladder and causes inflammation.

    Not all urinary tract infections become bladder infections. Preventing the spread of the infection is one of the most important reasons to treat a UTI quickly when you have symptoms. The infection can spread not only to the bladder, but also into your kidneys, which is a more complicated type of infection than a UTI.

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    When Should I Contact The Doctor

    • If your child continues to have blood in the urine and/or has urinary symptoms
    • If there is fever, side or back pain
    • If your child is getting swollen and seems to be urinating less
    • If your child is unusually irritable, is having frequent headaches, or has decreased energy
    • If there are other symptoms like joint pain or a rash

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