Finding blood in your urine? Act quickly

When your body speaks, be sure to listen. Though it's sometimes tempting to avoid a problem, bloody urine is a signal that you should never ignore. We'll tell you why.

• You may not know what certain symptoms mean. That's why diagnosis is a job for your doctor.
• Drugs such as aspirin, some antibiotics, blood thinners, and cancer drugs can have the side effect of creating blood in your urine. Talk with your doctor about whether a different drug should be substituted. Side effects sometimes disappear after a few days or weeks of taking a new medication, but you should let your doctor be the judge.
• Pink, red, or brownish urine accompanied by pain, burning during urination, a frequent strong urge to urinate, or foul-smelling urine are all signs of a urinary tract infection. See your doctor, who will order diagnostic urinalysis. The treatment is usually an oral antibiotic.
• A kidney infection can cause blood in the urine, usually accompanied by fever and back pain. As always, see your doctor. An antibiotic is prescribed when a bacterial infection in the urinary tract moves to the kidneys.
• If you experience severe pain along with bloody urine, you may have kidney stones. Your doctor will order a CT scan or abdominal x-ray. Many kidney stones pass on their own when the patient drinks up to 3 litres (3 quarts) of water per day. But if they don't pass, the stones may need to be surgically removed or shattered with shock waves.
• In men, prostate enlargement can cause blood in the urine accompanied by difficulty urinating or a strong need to urinate often. Your doctor will order a diagnostic ultrasound or other imaging test. Treatment includes medication or laser therapy to destroy excess prostate tissue.
• Unexplained blood in the urine with no other symptoms can be indicative of bladder cancer, kidney cancer, or a genetic kidney disorder. Even if you experience no discomfort, if there's blood in your urine you need to see your doctor. They'll order diagnostic ultrasounds, CT scans, and other imaging tests.

Blood in your urine is a warning sign. Fortunately, most conditions that cause blood to appear in your urine are treatable. Be sure to go to your doctor as soon as possible so that you can start receiving treatment right away.