Seeing blood in your urine (called hematuria) is definitely something to take seriously, especially with kidney disease. It's completely understandable to feel worried — but knowing what might be causing it can help.
There are several possible reasons this could be happening, some more serious than others:
- Urinary tract or Show Full Answer
Seeing blood in your urine (called hematuria) is definitely something to take seriously, especially with kidney disease. It's completely understandable to feel worried — but knowing what might be causing it can help.
There are several possible reasons this could be happening, some more serious than others:
- Urinary tract or kidney infections
- Kidney stones
- Intense exercise
- Certain medications (like blood thinners or some anticancer drugs)
- Trauma or injury to the kidney
- Damage to the kidney's tiny filters (glomeruli) With kidney disease, blood in the urine can sometimes occur when the kidney's filters become damaged and allow red blood cells to leak through into the urine. This is worth monitoring closely.
The most important step right now is to contact your nephrology team as soon as possible — ideally today. Don't wait on this one. They'll likely want to run some tests to figure out the cause and make sure everything is being managed properly.
You're in Tennessee, so reaching out to your kidney specialist or even an urgent care clinic today would be a smart move. Better safe than sorry! 🩺
September 4
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