Symptom guide

Blood in your urine? Here is what to do next

Pink, red, brown or tea-colored urine is alarming, and so is a report saying a routine test found red blood cells you could not see. Either way, the right next step is a calm, thorough check with our team in Marietta, Canton, Dallas or Jasper.

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Is it blood, or something I ate?

Beets, blackberries, rhubarb, some food dyes and a few medicines can tint urine red or orange, and dark yellow urine often just means you need more water. Blood tends to look pink, red or cola-brown, may carry small clots, and does not fade after a day of drinking more. If you cannot tell, treat it as blood and call us; a simple urine test answers the question in minutes.

What is the difference between blood I can see and blood found on a test?

Doctors call blood you notice in the toilet gross hematuria. Blood seen solely under a microscope, often during a physical or a check for something else, is microscopic hematuria. The amount you can see says little about how serious the cause is. A large, frightening episode can come from a small stone, while a few cells on a lab sheet can be the first sign of something that needs treatment. That is why both kinds get a proper evaluation.

It stopped on its own. Do I still need to come in?

Yes. Bleeding from the urinary tract often comes and goes, and a quiet week does not mean the source has healed. Tumors of the bladder or kidney, for example, can bleed once and then stay silent for months. One episode, even a brief one, is enough reason to book.

What can cause blood in the urine?

• A urinary tract or bladder infection, often with burning or urgency
• Kidney or ureter stones, sometimes with waves of side or back pain
• An enlarged prostate, whose surface vessels can bleed in men
• Hard exercise, a recent procedure or an injury
• Blood thinners, which make bleeding easier but are not a cause by themselves
• Bladder, kidney or prostate cancer, which is why a full check matters, especially after age 40 or for anyone who has smoked

Which signs mean the emergency room, not an appointment?

Head to an emergency department if you cannot pass urine, if clots are blocking the flow, if you feel faint or dizzy, or if bleeding comes with fever, shaking chills or severe pain. For everything else, call our scheduling line and we will help you get on the calendar.

What happens at the visit?

Your clinician starts by listening: when you noticed the blood, whether it hurt, what medicines you take and whether you have smoked or worked around industrial chemicals. Then the usual steps are:

• A urine sample, checked for blood, infection and abnormal cells
• Blood work to look at kidney function
• Imaging of the kidneys and ureters, most often a CT scan of the urinary tract or an ultrasound
• A cystoscopy, in which our urologists view the inside of the bladder through a slim, flexible camera, in the office or at our Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center

Many people finish most of these steps within one or two appointments. We explain each result in plain words and tell you clearly when nothing worrying is found.

What treatment might follow?

Treatment depends entirely on the cause. Infections are treated with antibiotics and a check that they have cleared. Stones may pass with time or need lithotripsy or ureteroscopy. An enlarged prostate that bleeds can be treated with medicine or a procedure. When a growth is found, our urologists treat bladder cancer and kidney tumors and will walk you through each option. Our blood in the urine condition page goes deeper into testing.

Where can I be seen for this?

• Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center, 1371 Church Street Extension NW, Marietta, GA 30060. Seen here for this concern: Daniel Roberson, PA-C, Amanda Boulos, PA-C, Shane Bell, PA-C, Anna Flint Todd, PA-C. Procedures for all four offices happen in this building.
• Canton Clinic, 2205 Riverstone Blvd Suite 101, Canton, GA 30114. Seen here for this concern: Daniel Roberson, PA-C, Amanda Boulos, PA-C, Shane Bell, PA-C, Anna Flint Todd, PA-C. Procedures are scheduled at our Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center.
• Dallas Clinic, 2713 Charles Hardy Parkway, Bldg 100, Suite 122, Dallas, GA 30157. Seen here for this concern: Daniel Roberson, PA-C. Visits here are with Daniel Roberson, PA-C. Physician visits and procedures are arranged in Marietta.
• Jasper Clinic, 49 Gordon Rd Suite 103, Jasper, GA 30143. Seen here for this concern: our team. Procedures are scheduled at our Marietta Clinic & Surgery Center.

Questions people ask us

Blood in urine on advancedurology.com

Other symptoms we help with

• Your PSA came back high. What happens now?
• Kidney stones causing pain? Deciding between the ER and our office
• Bladder leakage or frequent urination? Start by noticing when it happens
• Weak urine stream, trouble urinating or up at night: is it your prostate?

Educational information, not medical advice or a diagnosis. Every treatment has risks, benefits and alternatives to discuss with your clinician.