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Articles by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital
Hematuria in adults is a common condition and can also be caused by many different causes. To treat hematuria in adults effectively, the doctor needs to depend on the cause and extent of the patient's problem.
1. What is hematuria?
Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells in the urine. Normal urine does not contain red blood cells. The kidney's filtering units help prevent red blood cells from passing into the urine. When you have red blood cells in your urine, it may be from the filtering units of the kidneys or from the urinary tract (renal pelvis, ureters, bladder, urethra).
Hematuria is divided into microscopic hematuria (not visible to the naked eye, observed under a microscope) and gross hematuria (urine will be red, pink or dark tea and cola colors).
2. Causes of hematuria in adults
Hematuria in adults is a common condition and can also be caused by many different causes, including:
Inflammation of the pyelonephritis, ureters, bladder, prostate gland (in men) and urethra; Structural abnormalities of the urinary tract: Cystic or blocked kidneys (fluid-filled sacs) can cause hematuria. Ultrasound can help find the cause of hematuria in this case. Genetic diseases, eg polycystic kidney disease, sickle cell disease or hemophilia; Urine mineral imbalance: High levels of calcium in the urine can cause hematuria. Hematuria in adults may be painless or cause pain in the kidney area with a burning, burning sensation when urinating. These patients often have a family history of kidney stones and they also have a high risk of developing the disease, but less than 10-15%. Most patients with microscopic hematuria due to this cause do not need treatment unless they have kidney stones. Glomerulonephritis: A common cause of hematuria. There are many forms of glomerulonephritis, some are mild and go away on their own, while others are serious and require treatment. Blood tests help confirm the diagnosis. A kidney biopsy may be needed to find out the exact condition of the glomeruli. In some cases, no cause for hematuria can be found (idiopathic hematuria): "Idiopathic" means that the cause of the hematuria is unknown. This case may or may not be familial. When the patient has no family history of hematuria and other diagnostic tests are normal, no treatment is needed.
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3. What tests help diagnose hematuria in adults?
Patients with microscopic hematuria but normal blood pressure and renal function should follow up with urinalysis after several months (3-6 months). If blood is still present in the urine then:
Perform renal ultrasound; Protein urine test? Calcium concentration? Creatinine? Blood tests to evaluate kidney function and other tests as assessed by your doctor; If all tests are normal and hematuria is still present, annual urine blood tests should be followed up. In the case of patients with hematuria and hypertension, abnormal blood tests, family history of kidney disease or elevated proteinuria, a kidney biopsy should be performed for diagnosis.
4. How is hematuria in adults treated?
Treatment of hematuria in adults is based on the cause. Doctors need to find the cause of the patient's hematuria and based on that to decide on treatment. For example, if hematuria is caused by an infection, the patient is treated with antibiotics. If no serious cause is found, hematuria does not require treatment, but patients need to be monitored periodically as prescribed by a doctor.
In short, hematuria in adults is a dangerous disease and very difficult to detect. To find out if you have the disease, you need to do a urine test or screen for urological disease. From there, there will be directions for prevention and treatment of diseases, if any. At Vinmec International General Hospital, there is a package of urological examination and screening to help customers detect diseases early and have effective treatment and prevent dangerous complications. When choosing the urological examination and screening package at Vinmec, customers will receive:
Specialized urological examination; Ultrasound of the urinary system; Quantification of total PSA; Quantification of free PSA; Urine culture. To help detect possible urinary tract diseases early. Especially prostate diseases (benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostate cancer) and urinary stone pathologies.... thereby helping customers to take preventive measures.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
References: Kidney.org
