Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : July 24, 2018 4:08 PM IST
First, if you see blood spots in your urine don't panic at the onset. Of course, it isn't a normal sight to see the colour of your pee change to red or pink due to the presence of blood but wait till you think about the worst. No, we aren't saying that you should ignore this symptom altogether but don't panic. "Most often blood in the urine isn't due to a serious condition but yes it isn't a normal occurrence too. So, it is only obvious that you need to check what is the underlying cause that is triggering this symptom. While mostly this condition is benign in nature but one should be vigilant and get checked," says Dr Anup Ramani, Uro-oncologist & Robotic Surgeon, Lilavati, Breach Candy, Saifee Hospital from Mumbai.
Who can get it?
Blood in the urine or haematuria can affect both men and women alike. "However, this condition is more common in women than men," says Dr Ramani. It is also common in elderly, people suffering from diabetes and AIDS. Here is everything you need to know about bladder problems in men.
What causes it?
Some common causes of blood in urine in both men and women are
UTIs: "These UTIs are more common in women; however, even men can get them. It is necessary to investigate the cause of the UTI," says Dr Ramani.
Infections: "Often infections in the kidney or the urethra can be a cause for blood in the urine in both men and women," points out Dr Ramani. It is a condition in which the bacteria or virus enters the kidneys from the bloodstream or from the urinary tract, and causes inflammation. In most cases, E. coli is the culprit. Again this is common in women than in men.
Urological cancers: This is a matter of concern. "Blood in urine could be a symptom of certain urological cancers like kidney, bladder, urethra or other genital parts and this is why it is always better to get it checked so one can act and avert the condition from getting worse," says Dr Ramani. He also points out, "Often people ignore this symptom because there is no associated pain with it. Most people use pain as a yardstick to measure the seriousness of a crisis. But know that many cancers manifest in the body without causing any pain and so it is necessary to investigate this problem to get to the core of it." Here are seven reasons why prostate cancer is a silent killer.
Apart from these, specifically for men another reason that could cause this is
Enlarged prostate: "There could be times when due to an enlarged prostate one faces the problem of passing traces of blood in the urine. This problem is prevalent in people over 60 or 65 years of age," informs Dr Ramani.
How is it diagnosed?
"When one comes with the complaint of blood in urine, typically three kinds of tests are done: urine test, urine culture and a sonography if the person is over 60 years of age. A sonography is a non-invasive technique which helps to pick up any kinds of stones in the kidney or urethra or even pick up cancers so the treatment can be started at the earliest," says Dr Ramani.
How is it treated?
The treatment happens in a much subjective manner once the cause is diagnosed. "In case of infections antibiotics are prescribed to ward off the micro bacterial attack. For an enlarged prostate in men, sometimes medications or a laser surgery (if the situation demands) is suggested depending on the enlargement of the gland. A treatment for cancer is decided depending on the organ affected, the prognosis and the requirement whether it a surgery, chemotherapy or radiation is needed," concludes Dr Ramani.
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