Blood in the urine

Category: Urinary & Kidneys · All urinary symptoms

What it can feel like

Blood in the urine can be visible — pink, red or cola-coloured urine — or microscopic, found only on testing. Either way it always deserves assessment: bleeding can come from anywhere in the urinary tract, and while infection and stones are common causes, bladder and kidney tumours are on the list.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Visible blood can be associated with urine infection, kidney or bladder stones, vigorous exercise, an enlarged prostate in men, and recent procedures or catheterisation.

Other possible causes

Blood in the urine can also be associated with kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis), and with tumours of the bladder, kidney or prostate — which is why even a single episode of visible blood is investigated, especially over the age of 45.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Visible blood in the urine at any age — always report promptly
Blood with clots, or being unable to pass urine
Blood with fever, side pain or vomiting
Blood in the urine of a child, or with swelling and reduced urine

What a clinician may do

A clinician will test and culture the urine, take blood tests for kidney function and blood count, and examine you. Investigation usually includes scans of the kidneys and a camera look inside the bladder (cystoscopy), arranged on an urgent pathway for visible blood.

Watch: related videos

Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.

▶ WatchHematuriaWatch on MedicalVideos.com

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Frequently asked questions

It happened once and cleared — can I forget it?

No. A single episode of visible blood in the urine is a recognised referral trigger, because tumours often bleed intermittently at first. Clearing up does not clear the need for scans and a bladder examination.

Can foods or medicines fake blood in urine?

Beetroot, some berries and the antibiotic rifampicin can colour urine red without blood. A urine test quickly tells the difference — which is why testing, rather than guessing, is the first step.

Related symptoms — Urinary & Kidneys

Being unable to pass urine Cloudy or strong-smelling urine Difficulty starting to urinate Flank pain Foamy urine Leaking urine (incontinence)

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.