Hematuria is the presence of blood in the urine. It can be very disconcerting to spot blood in the urine, but the presence of blood is not necessarily a cause for alarm. Hematuria in men can be the result of excessive exercise, a fall, taking aspirin, eating certain foods or an allergic reaction. Urine disorders may cause hematuria in men, such as kidney stones, a urinary infection or a prostate infection. More seriously, the symptoms may indicate a kidney tumor or bladder cancer, Berger's disease or renal hypertension. Blood-tinged urine is called gross hematuria as opposed to blood cells that are seen microscopically, called microscopic hematuria, which may exhibit no additional signs or symptoms.
Certain foods may mask blood in the urine and urine disorders. Beets, berries and rhubarb may stain the urine, causing it to appear blood-tinged. Hard exercises, especially running, cause hematuria in men. A traumatic fall or car accident may bruise the kidney, causing it to shed red blood cells through the urinary tract. These cases usually resolve within a few hours.
Hematuria in men can be a symptom of a more serious disorder. The most common cause of hematuria in men is a urinary tract infection or sexualy-transmitted disease, kidney stones and benign prostatic hyperplasia. These diseases are treated with antibiotics or, as in the case of hyperplasia, with surgically removing the tissue. Less common and more serious, hematuria may be caused by kidney disease, cancer or Berger's disease. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease acquired by swimming or bathing in contaminated water, which is rarely seen in industrialized nations but common in the Middle East and Africa.
Medical professionals recommend a medical examination for hematuria lasting longer than 24 hours or for occasional or frequent presence of blood in the urine. Hematuris accompanied by pain or excessive bleeding should be checked immediately. The physician will observe a specimen of urine microspically, called a urinalysis, looking for white blood cells that indicate an infection. Tender kidneys or lumps in the organ will be checked with ultrasound for the presence of cysts or cancerous growths.
Hematuria treatment depends largely on the diagnosis. For a minor case, the doctor may prescribe avoidance of foods or activities, or antibiotics if an infection is detected. If the cause for the disorder is found to be cancerous, the patient may require chemotherapy drugs or surgery. Despite the alarming presence of hematuria in men, the dangers of a fatal disease are rare. Nonetheless, physicians recommend that any sign of hematuria in men be reported immediately.
