Can Hematuria Go Away On Its Own?

Hematuria is a condition in which blood is present in the urine. Its presence can be seen in urine by the patient himself, and then it is called gross hematuria. However in some cases, it is present in the urine but not seen by naked eyes, it is called microscopic hematuria.^[1] The causes of hematuria can be trauma, infection in the urinary tract, vigorous exercises, and medicines like aspirin, antibiotics, etc, kidney stones, and many more. Most of its cases are without sign or symptom. Its symptoms involve pinkish or reddish-brown discoloration of the urine, pain in the back or bladder.^[2]

Hematuria is a condition characterized by the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It is not a serious condition in every case. But it may signal towards a serious disease in some cases. It affects both young and old people.

Most of the cases of hematuria are not serious and can go away on its own. It totally depends on its underlying causes. Hematuria resulted from strenuous exercises resolves in 24 to 48 hours. Hematuria caused due to a stone in the urinary tract ends when the stone is cleared off or removed.

Exercises– sometimes, strenuous exercises may result in hematuria. Exact cause behind this is not clear; it may be due to trauma to the bladder, dehydration or breakdown of red blood cells.

Medications– antibiotics, blood thinners like aspirin, anti-cancer drugs such as cyclophosphamide, etc can cause bleeding in the urinary tract resulting in hematuria.

Anticoagulant like heparin can cause the urinary bladder to bleed.

UTI or Urinary Tract Infection– bacterial infection may start from the urethra and spread to the rest of the body that may lead to burning during urination, strong smelling urine and pain in the lower abdomen. This may result in blood in urine.

Kidney Infections– infections may also travel from the body through blood to kidney that may cause fever, flank pain, and hematuria.

Kidney Stone– kidney stones are small in size and often painless. They may not have any symptom. But when they cause blockage, they may result in gross or microscopic bleeding.

Prostate Affections– prostate infections may lead to infections to the urethra and resulting blood in urine.

Kidney Diseases– inflammation of kidney may result in microscopic bleeding. This inflammation may be as a result of a systemic disease like diabetes.

Tumors or Cancer– tumors or cancerous growth in kidney, bladder or prostate can lead to gross urinary bleeding. It may not cause other signs or symptoms of cancer.

Inherited Disorders– some infiltrating inherited disease like sickle cell anemia or Alport Syndrome may lead to infiltration of red blood cells through the glomeruli. This may lead to visible or macroscopic bleeding in the urine.^[3]

Hematuria is of two types, gross or microscopic hematuria.

Gross Hematuria– when blood is visible in urine by naked eyes, then this condition is known as gross hematuria.

Microscopic Hematuria– when red blood cells are seen only under a microscope, it is called microscopic hematuria. It is detected by urine tests in a routine checkup.^[4]

Hematuria is itself a symptom of another disorder. It rarely represents any symptom other than red, brown or pinkish coloration of the urine. If the flow in the urinary tract is blocked, blood may come in clots in the urine and it is painful. Other symptoms like fever, rigors, pain, swelling, etc. may also appear due to its underlying causes.

Hematuria means the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It can affect anyone children, teenagers, adults or old people. It is usually short durational and goes away on its own. It depends on the cause. If there is a serious illness like kidney stones, tumors, cancer etc., it requires treatment and sometimes emergency management.

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Also Read:

• What is Hematuria & How is it Treated?|Types, Causes, Symptoms, Risks of Hematuria