Red blood cells in a person's urine is called haematuria. It could be benign and/or idiopathic. Idiopathic means that it will suddenly appear from an unknown or obscure source without any apparent cause. It could also be a warning of a tumor or kidney stone in the body's urinary tract. The urinary tract is comprised of the urethra, the prostate, the urinary bladder, the ureters and the kidneys. It will range from a trivial to a lethal complication.
Red discoloration in the urine could have different causes.
- Red blood cell: Microscopic haematuria, where the red discoloration can only be seen under miscroscope
- Macroscopic haematuria, where the red discoloration can be seen with the naked eye
- Haemoglobin (red pigment, and not red blood cells)
- Other pigments such as Betanin from eating a lot of beetroot, and certain drugs
The common causes of a high red blood cell count in the urine could include:
- Urinary tract infections with either certain viruses, sexually transmitted disease (especially in a woman) or bacterial strains.
- Ureter stones or kidney stones
- Prostatic hyperplasia (benign) especially in older men over 50
A less common cause of haematuria could include:
- Berger's disease
- Trauma e.g. A hard knock on the kidneys
- Cancer and/or tumors in the body's urinary system such as bladder cancer
- Kidney diseases
- Urinary Schistosomiasis (common in many Middle Eastern and African countries
- Prostate inflammation or infection (prostatitis)
Clear and odourless urine is a sign of functioning kidneys that are healthy. Every second in a human life there will be three million red blood cells that die. Three million new red cells have to then replace the dead ones. Iron, Vitamin B12, folate and testosterone are important in maintaining optimum levels of these red blood cells.
Red discoloration in the urine could have different causes.
- Red blood cell: Microscopic haematuria, where the red discoloration can only be seen under miscroscope
- Macroscopic haematuria, where the red discoloration can be seen with the naked eye
- Haemoglobin (red pigment, and not red blood cells)
- Other pigments such as Betanin from eating a lot of beetroot, and certain drugs
The common causes of a high red blood cell count in the urine could include:
- Urinary tract infections with either certain viruses, sexually transmitted disease (especially in a woman) or bacterial strains.
- Ureter stones or kidney stones
- Prostatic hyperplasia (benign) especially in older men over 50
A less common cause of haematuria could include:
- Berger's disease
- Trauma e.g. A hard knock on the kidneys
- Cancer and/or tumors in the body's urinary system such as bladder cancer
- Kidney diseases
- Urinary Schistosomiasis (common in many Middle Eastern and African countries
- Prostate inflammation or infection (prostatitis)
Clear and odourless urine is a sign of functioning kidneys that are healthy. Every second in a human life there will be three million red blood cells that die. Three million new red cells have to then replace the dead ones. Iron, Vitamin B12, folate and testosterone are important in maintaining optimum levels of these red blood cells.
