What causes blood in urine with uti

Learn about what may cause blood in your urine, how to know if you have it, and possible treatments for it.

Table of Contents Show

What is blood in urine?
What are the causes of blood in urine?
What is the treatment for blood in urine?
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
Cancer risk
What happens at your appointment
Causes of blood in urine
When it might be something else
How serious is a UTI with blood in urine?
How long does blood in urine last with UTI?
How do you treat blood in urine with a UTI?

Blood in your urine (i.e., your pee) does not always mean that you have kidney disease, but it may mean something is wrong with your kidneys or another part of your urinary tract.

What is blood in urine?

Blood in your urine can look red, pink or brown. Sometimes, you may not know you have blood in your urine until you have a urine test. A urine test may also find white blood cells, which can be a sign of an infection in your kidneys or another part of your urinary tract.

Be sure to tell your doctor if you have blood in your urine so they can decide what to do next.

If you notice a lot of blood, or any blood clots in your urine, contact your doctor right away.

What are the causes of blood in urine?

There are many causes of blood in your urine, including:

An infection, such as a UTI (urinary tract infection) or virus
Kidney stones
Having your period (menstruation)
Sexual activity
Injury, such as from sports

Other, more serious problems can also cause blood in your urine, such as:

Kidney or bladder cancer
Irritation or swelling in your kidneys, prostate (in men) or another part of your urinary tract
Polycystic kidney disease
Blood clots or diseases that cause blood clotting
Sickle cell disease

Anyone can have blood in their urine, but it is more likely if you:

Have a family history of kidney disease
Have an enlarged prostate (usually in middle age or older men)
Have a history of kidney stones
Are taking certain medicines, such as pain relievers, blood thinners and antibiotics
Have or recently had certain types of infections

What is the treatment for blood in urine?

The treatment depends on the cause of the blood in your urine. To find out the cause, your doctor may ask about your family history and test your urine. A lab will test the urine sample for signs of an infection, kidney disease or other problems.

If an infection is causing the blood in your urine, your doctor may give you antibiotic medicine. Other causes may need different treatments.

Blood in urine (pee) is not usually caused by anything serious, but you must get it checked out by a GP.

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

You have blood in your pee, even if:

you do not have any other symptoms
it's the first time it's happened
there's only a small amount of blood
you're not sure it's blood

Blood in your pee may be bright pink, red or dark brown.

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Cancer risk

Blood in pee must be checked out because it can be a sign of cancer. This is easier to treat if it's found early.

What happens at your appointment

If you have blood in your pee, a GP will ask about your symptoms and may need to check inside your bottom (rectal examination), and your vagina if you're a woman.

They might also:

ask for a pee sample or arrange a blood test
prescribe antibiotics if they think you have an infection
refer you to a specialist for tests

Causes of blood in urine

Blood in your pee could come from anywhere in the urinary tract – the bladder, kidneys or urethra (the tube that carries pee out of the body).

If you have other symptoms, this might give you an idea of the cause. But do not self-diagnose. See a GP if you think it's blood in your pee.

Possible causes of blood in urine.

Other symptoms	Possible cause
Burning pain when peeing, need to pee often, smelly or cloudy pee, high temperature, pain in sides or lower back	Urinary tract infection (UTI)
Bad pain in sides, lower back or groin that comes and goes, unable to lie still, feeling sick	Kidney stones
Older men (common in over-50s) finding it difficult to pee, needing to pee suddenly and often, waking up to pee in middle of the night	Enlarged prostate

When it might be something else

It may not be blood in your pee if:

you've recently eaten beetroot – this can turn your pee pink
you're taking a new medicine – some medicines can turn pee red or brown
you're bleeding from your bottom instead
it's happening during your period

Page last reviewed: 24 June 2020
Next review due: 24 June 2023

How serious is a UTI with blood in urine?

One symptom of a UTI is blood in your pee. If you think you have a UTI, especially if you're peeing blood, it's really important to see a doctor or nurse and get treated right away. UTIs don't go away on their own. Sometimes it can spread to your kidneys and make you really sick.

How long does blood in urine last with UTI?

Expected Duration. How long hematuria lasts depends on its underlying cause. For example, hematuria related to strenuous exercise typically goes away on its own within 24 to 48 hours. Hematuria resulting from a urinary tract infection will end when the infection is cured.

How do you treat blood in urine with a UTI?

Depending on the condition causing your hematuria, treatment might involve taking antibiotics to clear a urinary tract infection, trying a prescription medication to shrink an enlarged prostate or having shock wave therapy to break up bladder or kidney stones.