Why Is My Urine Slightly Red?
The most common cause of slightly reddish urine is the presence of red blood cells in the urine, also known as hematuria in medicine. There are many reasons for hematuria, which are often related to inflammation. The most common inflammation is urinary system inflammation. Renal disease and stone-related diseases may also lead to hematuria. It is important to be vigilant about the possibility of malignancy. Let's briefly understand this aspect.
The reason for reddish urine is usually due to the presence of fresh blood in the urine, resulting in urine that appears like washed meat water. When performing urine routine tests, a significant increase in red blood cells is often observed. This is commonly seen in urinary system infections, stones, or tumors. Further examination is needed for a definitive diagnosis. If hematuria is present alone with an increase in white blood cells in the urine routine test and accompanied by symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, and pain during urination, it is mainly caused by urinary tract infection. If strong echoes are found during ultrasonography and accompanied by waist pain, it is commonly associated with stones. For bladder tumors, CT or cystoscopy is needed to exclude or confirm the diagnosis.
If there are components of red blood cells (such as cytoplasm and cell membrane) in the urine, they may lead to a "+" result in the occult blood test after machine inspection. It is important to note that this refers to cellular components, not intact red blood cells. Under normal conditions, red blood cells in human blood are constantly being generated and destroyed, and they are continuously excreted in the urine. Therefore, even healthy individuals may have a "+" result in the urine occult blood test. The diagnostic principle for hematuria is to confirm the presence of red blood cells in the urine sediment examination under high-power microscopy. If the number of red blood cells is greater than 3/HP, it indicates hematuria.
After urine sediment examination confirms the presence of hematuria, it is necessary to further clarify the cause of the hematuria. Based on its origin, it can be classified as renal hematuria and non-renal hematuria. Renal hematuria is commonly seen in renal parenchymal lesions, including glomerular diseases such as IgA nephropathy and acute glomerulonephritis. The most common causes of non-renal hematuria are various diseases in the urinary system, such as inflammation, stones, and tumors. If hematuria is accompanied by hypertension and proteinuria, consultation with a nephrologist is recommended. If hematuria is not accompanied by these symptoms, it is advisable to consult a urologist to assess the need for further examinations such as urinary system ultrasonography to rule out other diseases, such as urinary stones, urinary tract infections, or urinary tract tumors.
