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Blood in cystitis when urinating: can there be?

Medical expert of the article

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 12.07.2025

Cystitis is a rather serious disease, which is accompanied by severe pain, discomfort, and limited ability to work. Sometimes blood is observed with cystitis. However, with proper treatment, it can be cured quickly and without consequences.

Can there be blood with cystitis?

Severe forms of cystitis may be accompanied by the appearance of blood in the urine. This is a rather dangerous sign, which indicates kidney damage and the development of renal syndrome. If blood appears in the urine, you must see a doctor as soon as possible, or better yet, call an ambulance.

Blood combined with pain and burning may be a sign of radiation cystitis, which develops as a reaction to radiation therapy, chemotherapy. Also, in women, you first need to make sure that the blood is a sign of damage to the genitourinary tract. Perhaps it is vaginal discharge. In any case, it is better to consult a doctor to make sure and determine the etiology, and then choose the best treatment.

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Epidemiology

According to statistics, blood in the urine develops as one of the complications of cystitis due to insufficient compliance with the regimen, improper treatment, and weakened immunity. Thus, approximately every sixth patient suffering from cystitis develops bleeding. At the same time, in every seventh patient, hemorrhage leads to a critical condition.

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Causes cystitis with blood

The main reason for the appearance of blood in cystitis is hematuria (a condition in which blood appears in a person’s natural secretions). This condition implies that the blood has reached the outlet. It also means that there is an affected area that is bleeding profusely.

Tumors and various neoplasms can also be one of the reasons. Sometimes blood can be caused by an infection or a strong inflammatory process, which damages blood vessels, increases their fragility and permeability. Alcohol abuse, drug use can cause bleeding. Also, some injuries can lead to bleeding.

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Risk factors

The risk group includes people who suffer from frequent colds and infectious diseases, have sexually transmitted infections, viruses and latent infections. People with various kidney diseases and chronic diseases are also at risk. The risk of developing the disease increases significantly with insufficient nutrition, reduced immunity, and a lack of vitamins and minerals.

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Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis is based on the spread of infection and the development of a strong inflammatory process. The pathological process mainly develops in the area of the bladder and urethra. The kidneys are gradually involved in the inflammation, and blood vessels are damaged. The fragility and permeability of the vessels increases, their elasticity changes. At the same time, they are often damaged, burst, as a result of which blood flows out and gets into the urine. The cells and tissues of the bladder are subject to inflammation. They experience a sharp disruption of blood circulation, and blood circulation worsens.

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Symptoms cystitis with blood

Blood in cystitis indicates the development of complications, as well as the fact that the disease is progressing and requires immediate treatment. Often, with a complicated form of cystitis, severe pain and burning in the genitourinary tract also develop, which is especially intensified during urination. Requires mandatory hospitalization and complex treatment.

The main symptom is blood in the urine. It should not be just an admixture of blood, but an intense reddening of the urine, acquiring a stable bloody hue. Blood should appear with each urination. Then we can say that we are really talking about blood in the urine. Otherwise, we can assume that the blood got into the urine from another biotope. For example, a woman needs to make sure that the blood is of renal origin, and did not get into the urine from the vagina.

The first signs are the appearance of drops of blood in the urine. Thus, the urine is colored red. The shade is stable and evenly distributed throughout the urine. Impurities are not visible, all the liquid becomes uniform. Pain usually does not occur in the early stages, it joins later.

This is the surest sign that cystitis is progressing and complications have arisen in the kidneys. Blood may appear with increased fragility of blood vessels, a tendency to hemorrhages. Blood may also appear with increased permeability of the walls of blood vessels. Most often, it is the renal tissue that is subject to hemorrhagic damage.

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Blood clots in cystitis

Clots appear if blood clots or if inflammatory processes or hemorrhages heal. Cystitis with blood is a severe form of pathology, which indicates that treatment should be carried out immediately. In this case, a thorough examination of the kidneys is required, since in most cases an inflammatory and infectious process develops in them.

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Blood at the end of urination with cystitis

It may be a sign of damage to the genitourinary tract, ureter. Usually the following picture can be observed: first, normal urination occurs, then small admixtures of blood appear and at the end of urination, the urine acquires a completely bloody hue. Pain in the early stages of the pathology usually does not occur, but with advanced pathology, if no measures are taken in a timely manner, profuse bleeding may occur and pain syndrome may join.

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Blood and pain in cystitis

Blood in the urine combined with pain almost always indicates kidney damage. In this case, the vessels usually lose their elasticity and strength and are subject to hemorrhage. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that the blood is of kidney origin and does not act as one of the signs of damage to the reproductive system. Thus, a woman needs to make sure that this is not uterine bleeding or vaginal discharge. When there is blood in the urine, the urine usually takes on a red bloody hue, impurities are not visible, it becomes uniform, homogeneous.

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Blood in chronic cystitis

Chronic cystitis is a latent inflammation that can slowly progress in the human body for a long time without causing any discomfort, complications, pain, or inconvenience. However, under certain unfavorable circumstances, such as hypothermia, stress, or decreased immunity, the chronic form of cystitis can develop into an acute form. This causes blood, pain, and frequent urges to urinate. However, many of them are often false.

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Blood in cystitis in women

Women develop cystitis much more often than men due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of the female body and physiological features. In this case, cystitis very quickly becomes chronic and complicated, since the infection easily spreads in an ascending manner, causing infectious and inflammatory damage to the kidneys. This process may be accompanied by the appearance of blood in the urine.

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Cystitis with blood during pregnancy

It is not allowed to allow even the slightest traces of blood to appear in the urine of a pregnant woman. This may indicate severe kidney damage. The risk of blood appearing in the urine during pregnancy increases significantly compared to the normal period of life. This is due to the fact that during this period the woman's immunity is significantly weakened, the load on the body increases. First of all, the load falls on the kidneys and the genitourinary system.

In addition, during pregnancy, a number of additional changes occur, which contribute to the development of the inflammatory and infectious process, kidney damage. Under the influence of hormones, bleeding can increase, and the inflammatory process also progresses.

During pregnancy, you cannot take medications. But blood in the urine is not the case. Such a pathology must be treated, since it can cause the development of even more serious complications, up to renal failure, gestosis of pregnant women, which entail serious complications of pregnancy, pose a danger to the mother and fetus, and cause serious complications during childbirth.

In order to minimize all risks, you need to strictly follow the doctor's recommendations. In no case should you self-medicate, this can be fraught with serious consequences. The doctor will select the safest means and help get rid of this aggravating factor. Future mothers need to understand that it is necessary to treat cystitis during pregnancy, because if it is not treated, serious consequences and complications cannot be avoided. Pregnant women should not allow the disease to become chronic. It is important to reduce the load on the kidneys by any means.

Blood in cystitis should be eliminated as quickly as possible. If it appears, you need to call an ambulance. It is better not to take any action until the ambulance arrives. It is recommended to lie down and not to make any movements. It is important to make sure that this is not amniotic fluid or bleeding. A doctor will do this. If severe pain occurs, relieve it with homeopathic remedies that do not have severe side effects and act quite gently. But, in no case should you select these remedies on your own, without consulting a doctor. It is necessary to take into account that many remedies have abortive properties and can cause premature birth or miscarriage. You also need to drink plenty of fluids.

Blood in cystitis in men

The reasons for the appearance of blood in men suffering from cystitis are no different from those in women. Thus, blood can appear during a strong inflammatory process that is constantly progressing, during the development of purulent-septic and infectious processes in the body, as well as in the case when the kidneys, ureter, and excretory organs themselves are exposed to infection.

In any case, it is necessary to understand that the presence of even the slightest traces of blood in the urine may indicate the development of a serious complication, so it is necessary to carry out treatment as quickly as possible. To do this, it is advisable to visit a nephrologist who will conduct an examination and make an accurate diagnosis. Treatment should be selected exclusively by a doctor, since any incorrect action can be fraught with serious consequences. The sooner treatment is started, the greater the chances of recovery, without any consequences and complications.

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Blood in cystitis in a child

A child may have blood in cystitis if the immune system is weakened or there are kidney problems. Weak blood vessels and decreased vascular permeability can lead to blood appearing in the urine during urination. The urine becomes red, uniformly colored. Without any impurities or sediment.

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Complications and consequences

One of the most dangerous complications of blood in the urine can be severe damage to the kidneys, renal tubules, portal system of the liver and kidneys. In this case, both acute and chronic inflammatory processes, intoxication reactions can develop. In the absence of adequate treatment, one of the most serious complications can be renal failure and severe forms of liver cirrhosis. There is also a danger in the further involvement of the kidneys in the pathological process, which can be dangerous due to the formation of secondary foci of infection that will spread throughout the body and cause inflammation in other organs and systems. The most dangerous risk is such dangerous conditions as sepsis and bacteremia, in which the infection penetrates the blood, causing its contamination and contributing to the formation of new foci of infection.

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Diagnostics cystitis with blood

If blood appears, you cannot delay. The doctor traditionally interviews the patient, collects general information about him, anamnesis of life and illness. It is this information that can become a source of understanding the specifics of the disease, can indicate the cause of the disease. By eliminating this cause, you can significantly alleviate the condition, and it will be easier to treat the disease.

Then the doctor collects the anamnesis of the disease. Based on the data obtained, the doctor has the opportunity to judge the features of the course of the disease, make certain conclusions and forecasts regarding the course and outcome of the disease. The patient must provide the patient with all the information about the disease, which can be very informative for the patient. It is important to report how long ago and under what circumstances the blood impurities appeared, whether there is pain, whether the blood appears spontaneously or only during urination, whether there are circumstances in which the pathology intensifies, or, conversely, decreases. No less important information may be information about whether any treatment was carried out, what its effectiveness is.

An equally important condition for successful diagnostics is the examination of the patient. During the examination, various methods and means of examination may be required, such as clinical, laboratory, and instrumental methods. Of the classical methods, palpation, percussion, and auscultation of the kidney area are traditionally used. It is important to carefully palpate possible lesions, assess the degree of hyperemia, tissue edema, and local temperature. Auscultation involves a procedure in which breathing and heartbeat are listened to. Percussion makes it possible to detect multiple lesions, such as inflammation, edema, and compaction.

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Tests

Various tests may be required to make a diagnosis. When blood is detected in the urine, clinical tests are usually prescribed. Conventional clinical tests are very informative: clinical and biochemical analysis of blood, urine, feces. If necessary, a coagulogram and a detailed analysis of the immune system (immunogram) are prescribed. They allow you to assess the general direction of the processes occurring in the body.

It is possible to roughly determine the inflammatory, infectious, or allergic process. Then the necessary tests are prescribed to clarify the suspected diagnosis. It is also possible to roughly assume in which part of the body the main pathological process is developing, what is its degree of development and intensity. For example, the appearance of a large amount of sugar in the urine or blood may indicate an increased load on the kidneys, the development of diabetes. If a large amount of protein is detected in the urine, it is possible to talk about renal inflammation. An increased content of eosinophils and an increased level of histamine may be a sign of the development of an allergic reaction.

Tests may indicate the presence of a bacterial or viral infection in the body. To clarify the diagnosis: to determine the type of microorganisms that caused the disease, their quantitative and qualitative characteristics, to select an effective drug and its dosage, a bacteriological or virological study is carried out.

Sometimes express diagnostics are carried out, which allows to quickly determine the cause of the pathology. In this case, the polymerase chain reaction method can be used, which allows to detect fragments of the pathogen's DNA in the sample being studied.

The enzyme immunoassay (EIA) method is used, which is based on the agglutination reaction. The essence of this reaction is that if there is an infection in the body, the immune system begins to produce antibodies that provide reliable protection of the body from foreign agents. Viruses or bacteria act as foreign agents. Their genetic apparatus is foreign to the human body. They contain antigens. During the agglutination reaction, antigens and antibodies are bound into a single complex of agglutinogens. The quantitative indicator determines the number of viruses or bacteria that caused the disease.

A scraping may be required, for which smears are taken. Smears, as well as blood, are examined using microscopy. In case of a disease of unclear etiology, it is advisable to conduct a study for latent infections, parasitic diseases.

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Instrumental diagnostics

Before starting treatment, it is important to make a correct diagnosis and determine the exact cause of pain and blood in the urine. This is very important, since treatment in this case is mainly etiological, that is, aimed at eliminating the cause of complications. To do this, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination, which will include a full examination, the appointment of laboratory and instrumental studies.

The most effective instrumental examinations may be ultrasound of the pelvic organs, kidneys, liver and the entire abdominal cavity. Computer or magnetic resonance imaging may also be required, which provide a full-scale image of the internal organs, including the kidneys. With the help of these research methods, it is possible to identify early pathologies at the earliest stages of pathology development. This will allow you to quickly take action, promptly select the optimal treatment, and eliminate pathology at the earliest stages of its development.

Differential diagnosis

First, it is necessary to differentiate the disease from other similar diseases that have similar symptoms. Thus, it is necessary to exclude all major kidney diseases, then exclude accidental blood in the urine. For example, for women, it is necessary to exclude uterine and vaginal bleeding, as well as any other blood discharge from the genitourinary organs. It is necessary to exclude excessive permeability of the blood vessels of the external genitalia. It is important to confirm the presence of infection and inflammation in the kidney area, which will allow us to assume blood of renal genesis. This also makes it possible to use a bacteriological blood test. If there is a certain quantitative level of microorganisms in the blood, it is possible to confirm or refute the presence of infection, inflammation of renal genesis.

Read also about hemorrhagic cystitis in this article.

Who to contact?

Treatment cystitis with blood

If not treated correctly, the disease progresses very quickly and affects the kidneys, leading to serious complications, kidney diseases, and even renal failure. Most of these cases of self-medication end with the person being hospitalized with an acute attack, urinary obstruction, and a severe inflammatory and infectious process, which subsequently ends in renal failure, liver cirrhosis, or complete failure of the main functions.

The danger also lies in the fact that renal failure contributes to the disruption of the normal functioning of other organs, in particular, it can lead to the development of congestion, increased load on other organs. Liver failure and heart failure can develop.

More information of the treatment

Prevention

Prevention of blood in urine is timely treatment of cystitis, since blood often becomes a complication of cystitis. It is necessary to undergo preventive examination and treatment at least twice a year, even if the disease is in remission and does not bother a person.

Preventive measures include medication and physiotherapy procedures, folk remedies or homeopathic preparations. With timely prevention, blood during cystitis almost never occurs.

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