Dr. Denise Molina Furlong is one of the finest urogynecologists in Cook County, Illinois. A urogynecologist is a medical professional who addresses issues with your reproductive and urinary systems, which are highly connected.
Blood in the urine is something many people have experienced. If it disappears, most people never give it a second thought.
However, blood in your urine may be symptomatic of a much more severe issue. The following are reasons why you should visit a urogynecologist if you see blood in your urine:
1. Urinary Tract Infections
One of the most common reasons for blood in your urine is a urinary tract infection. Your urinary tract is where blood can enter your urine most easily.
A urinary tract infection is characterized by a burning sensation when you urinate. However, not all urinary tract infections result in bloody urine.
An infection to your urinary tract is hazardous and should be addressed immediately. It can affect your reproductive system and other parts of your body if it is not.
2. Kidney Stones
A kidney stone is a tiny but hard deposit of cells in the kidney. They can significantly hamper the function of the kidney.
Kidney stones are eliminated from the body through the urinary tract in a usually painless process. However, when you see blood in your urine, it may be that the kidney stones you are passing are incredibly large.
The pain you feel when urinating will be excruciating, worse than that of a urinary infection. The stones may also rupture the ureters when transported from the kidney to the bladder, hence blood in your urine.
3. Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Another common cause of blood in the urine are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). On the other hand, it is difficult to know if an STD or a UTI causes the blood without testing, hence the need to visit a urogynecologist.
Several STDs cause bloody urine, including chlamydia and syphilis. Curing the STD is the only way to ensure that you no longer have urine in your blood. If the STD is incurable, managing the symptoms may eliminate blood in your urine.
4. Cancer
There are two primary forms of cancer that may lead to bloody urine in women; kidney and bladder cancer. Your kidney and bladder are the two organs mainly responsible for detoxifying your blood and expelling it via urine.
Cancerous cells cause severe damage to any organ they affect and may lead to internal bleeding. The bladder or kidney may expel the bloody waste through urine. Therefore, visiting a urogynecologist might help you catch cancer in its infancy, which is the only time to do so if it is to be treated.
5. Kidney Failure
Your kidneys are the most important organs for purifying your body. Complete kidney failure will have severe repercussions with symptoms, like bloody urine.
When one or both of your kidneys fail, they will be unable to purify blood; hence dirty blood may pass through and be excreted through the urine. You may be forced to live with one kidney or get a kidney donation.
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