Understandably, seeing blood in the toilet bowl after you have gone to the toilet is very alarming. While the experience is quite frightening, noticing blood in the urine is one of the most common reasons that people go see a urologist. Furthermore, it is very often associated with non-serious urological conditions.
Let’s take a look at the possible reasons that you might have blood in your urine.
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
UTIs are ubiquitous and in most cases, are very easy to treat. However, one of their most dramatic symptoms is blood in the urine. If you see blood in your urine, along with any of the following symptoms, you may have a urinary tract infection.
- frequent need to urinate
- pressure in pelvis
- pain in the lower back
- strong-smelling urine
- hurts or burns when urinating
- experiencing fever or chills
Kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard deposits which stick together in concentrated urine. They can be extremely painful when passing through the urinary tract, with a side effect often being blood in the urine. Other symptoms will likely include severe pain, especially around the kidney area on the side of your abdomen, as well as nausea. While kidney stones are usually not too threatening, they should be evaluated by a urologist as soon as possible to avoid long term kidney damage.
Cancer
Less commonly than UTIs and kidney stones is blood in the urine as a result of cancer. In particular, smokers over 50 are at high risk of developing cancer. It is important to remember that most cancers can be treated and many can even be cured. So, the most important thing to do is see your doctor as soon as you see blood in the urine if you are not already aware that you have a UTI or kidney stones.
Interested in learning more about urological health? Check out some of our other blog posts:
Effective treatments for stress incontinence
Treatment options for overactive bladder
What the colour of your urine could mean
While blood in the urine may not be a cause for major concern, its always a good idea to receive confirmation from a specialist that there is nothing to worry about. It is always important to talk to a trusted professional when it comes to your health. If you have noticed blood in your urine or have any questions about your urological health, or if you would like to book an appointment, please feel free to contact or call Dr Arianayagam’s office on 1300 307 990, and his staff will be happy to assist.
