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Foods & Dyes Can Make Urine Look Like It Has Blood In It

Some food dyes can turn your urine red or orange, which might look like your urine has blood in it. Sometimes people will not realize they have ingested food dyes. This is often the case when they take a product like AZO, an over-the-counter medication for urinary pain. The change in urine color caused by food dyes is harmless and will go away once you stop ingesting the dye.

If you eat a lot of beets, it can turn your urine red.

Blood in Urine, continued...
When You Have Blood In Your Urine

Sometimes urine will smell or have an unusual color, but if you’ve seen blood in your urine, you could have a serious medical condition that requires immediate attention.

What Causes Blood in Urine?

Blood in urine is called hematuria in the medical world. Although sometimes it is harmless, you should take it seriously if you find that your urine has blood in it.

What Conditions Are Associated with Blood in Urine?
There are many medical conditions that can make your urine bloody, and you need to know what they are if you’re seeing red in the toilet:

• UTI Infection
• Kidney Stones
• Bladder Stones
• Trauma
• Clotting
• Medications
• Cancer

Blood in urine is related to all of these conditions. If you’re seeing red when you should be seeing yellow, call your physician and schedule an appointment. Don’t assume hematuria will go away on its own, especially if you are a bit older.

To find out the cause of your bloody urine for sure, you’ll have to see your doctor. Without the appropriate tests, it is difficult to tell what might be causing the problem.

If you’ve recently experienced any type of trauma, perhaps from a car accident or sports injury, you may very well have bloody urine for that reason.

Seniors especially should pay attention to any blood in their urine. Men who are over the age of 50 should always get regular prostate checks to ensure prostate health.
What Treatments Are Available For Blood in Urine?
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Your doctor can determine what’s causing you to have blood in your urine and may order blood tests, urine tests, a CAT scan or other tests. The treatment will depend on the underlying cause.
If you’ve got a UTI, there are several medications that could be prescribed, such as amoxicillin or Bactrim (a sulfa antibiotic).

Kidney and bladder stones may be broken up using ultrasound. After the stones are broken apart, your body will be able to excrete them more easily. Your doctor will also likely prescribe pain medication as urinary stones cause a great deal of pain. Afterwards, you may receive advice on how to prevent kidney or bladder stones from forming again. This may include recommendations that you increase your water intake or eat a more healthy diet.

If it’s a medication causing the blood in your urine, your doctor may put you on a different medication.
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If you’ve got bladder cancer, you will need immediate medical intervention. Surgery and chemotherapy are some of the treatments your doctor might recommend.