Blood in the urine (medical term is hematuria) is a common problem. It may be benign, or it can be a sign that there is a kidney stone or a tumor in the urinary tract (kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, prostate, and urethra), ranging from trivial to lethal.
Blood In Urine – Causes

Kidneys – They serve the body as a natural filter of the blood, and remove wastes which are diverted to the urinary bladder. In producing urine, the kidneys excrete wastes such as urea and ammonium, and they are also responsible for the reabsorption of water, glucose, and amino acids. The kidneys also produce hormones including calcitriol, erythropoietin, and the enzyme renin.
Ureters – are muscular tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. This is a common site for the impaction of kidney stones.
Bladder – is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. In males, the base of the bladder lies between the rectum and the pubic symphysis. It is superior to the prostate, and separated from the rectum by the rectovesical excavation. In females, the bladder sits inferior to the uterus and anterior to the vagina; thus, its maximum capacity is lower than in males.
Urethra – is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine. In females, the urethra is shorter and emerges above the vaginal opening.
In men, the genitals and prostate (is a …

Interstitial cystitis is a term used to refer to a clinical syndrome characterized by chronic urinary urgency (feeling the need to urinate immediately) and frequency (frequent urination).
The term “cystitis” refers to any inflammation of the bladder.
Bacterial cystitis results from an infection in the bladder, no infectious organism has been identified in people with interstitial cystitis.
Over time, interstitial cystitis can cause physical damage to the bladder wall – scarring and stiffening of the bladder wall may occur as a result of the chronic inflammation, leading to a decrease in bladder capacity.
Visual examination of the inside of the bladder via a probe – have found that two patterns exist for interstitial cystitis, ulcerative and nonulcerative, depending upon the presence or absence of ulcerations in the bladder lining.
About 90% of patients with symptoms of interstitial cystitis are women.
Interstitial cystitis has not been considered to be a hereditary disorder, but multiple cases have occurred among some families, prompting ongoing investigation of the possible role of hereditary factors.
Women with interstitial cystitis are more likely to have had frequent urinary tract infections and to have had previous gynecologic surgery than women without interstitial cystitis.
Chronic illnesses (bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematous, irritable bowel syndrome, vulvodynia (chronic discomfort in the vulvar area), allergies, endometriosis, fibromyalgia) have been described as occurring more frequently in people with interstitial cystitis than in the general population.

Interstitial cystitis is a chronic inflammation of the bladder wall.
Symptoms
The symptoms (mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and pelvic area) vary from case to case and even in the same individual. Pain, change in intensity as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties.
How is Intersticial cystitis diagnosed?

Cystoscopy under Anesthesia with Bladder Distention
Culture of Prostate Secretions
Presence of pain related to the bladder, usually accompanied by frequency and urgency of urination
Absence of other diseases that could cause the symptoms
Urinalysis and Urine Culture
Biopsy

Intersticial cystitis treatment

Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium
Surgery
Bladder Instillation
Bladder Distention

is a condition that results in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region.
Symptoms

Painful urination – Pain may change in intensity as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties. Women’s symptoms often get worse during menstruation. They may sometimes experience pain during vaginal intercourse.
Urinary frequency, urgency, and pressure in the bladder and / or pelvis.
Waking at night to urinate, hesitancy, pain with sexual intercourse or discomfort and difficulty driving, travelling or working.

Diagnosis

Potassium sensitivity test – uses a mild potassium solution to test the integrity of the bladder wall.

Urinalysis and urine culture – can detect and identify the primary organisms that are known to infect the urinary tract.
Culture of prostate secretions – the doctor might obtain prostatic fluid and examine it for signs of a prostate infection
Cystoscopy under anesthesia with bladder distention – a cystoscopic examination with cystoscope to see inside the bladder and urethra.
Biopsy – a tissue sample that can be examined with a microscope.

Treatment
Oral Medications

Pentosan polysulfate
Amitriptyline
Duloxetine

Medications via Bladder Instillation

DMSO, a wood pulp extract, is the only approved bladder instillation.
Rescue instillations composed of Elmiron or heparin, Cystistat, Lidocaine and Sodium bicarbonate – is the first therapeutic intervention that can be used to reduce a flare of symptoms.
Bladder coatings – include Cystistat (sodium hyaluronate) and Uracyst (chondroitin).

Diet

Patients experience an increase in symptoms when they consume certain foods and beverages, especially coffee, tea, soda, alcoholic beverages, tomatoes, spices, chocolate, citrus fruits and juices, artificial sweeteners and hot pepper. Eliminating various items from the diet and reintroducing them one at a time may determine which, …

is a term that refers to bladder inflammation – is most commonly caused by a bacterial infection in which case it is referred to as a urinary tract infection.
Signs and symptoms

Need to urinate at night (nocturia)
Pressure in the lower pelvis
Painful urination (dysuria)
Frequent urination (polyuria) or urgent need to urinate (urinary urgency)

Diagnosis
Types of cystitis, each having a unique etiology:

Most common cause of urinary tract infection is from E. coli and Staphylococcus saprophyticus.

Traumatic cystitis – the most common form of cystitis in the female, and is due to bruising of the bladder, usually by abnormally forceful sexual intercourse.
Interstitial cystitis – is considered more of an injury to the bladder resulting in constant irritation and rarely involves the presence of infection.
Eosinophilic cystitis – attributed to infection by Schistosoma haematobium or by certain medications in afflicted children.
Hemorrhagic cystitis – can occur as a side effect of cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and radiation therapy.

is an ascending urinary tract infection that has reached the pyelum or pelvis of the kidney.
Symptoms
Fever, accelerated heart rate, painful urination, abdominal pain radiating to the back, nausea, and tenderness at the costovertebral angle on the affected side.
Pyelonephritis that has progressed to urosepsis may be accompanied by signs of septic shock, including rapid breathing, decreased blood pressure, violent shivering, and occasionally delirium.
Causes

infections in the bladder
surgery on the urinary tract
use of a catheter to drain urine from the bladder
use of a cystoscope to examine the bladder and urethra
conditions such as prostate enlargement and kidney stones that prevent the efficient flow of urine from the bladder
defects or abnormalities in the urinary tract that block the flow of urine

Treatment
A kidney infection is treated with an appropriate antibiotic (fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, either alone or in combination) taken for several weeks.

is an infection caused by pathogenic organisms ( bacteria, fungi, or parasites) in any of the structures that comprise the urinary tract. The major structural segment involved is urethritis (urethral infection), cystitis (bladder infection), ureter infection, and pyelonephritis (kidney infection).
The most common causes of Urinary Tract Infection (about 80%) are Escherichia coli, bacterial strains that usually inhabit the colon. However, many other bacteria can cause an infection (for example, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Proteus, Staphylococcus, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Serratia and Neisseria spp).
Fungi (Candida and Cryptococcus spp) and some parasites (Trichomonas, Schistosoma) also may cause Urinary Tract Infection.
Schistosoma causes other problems, with bladder infections as only a part of its complicated infectious process.
Symptoms
The symptoms of urinary tract infections may vary with age and the part of the urinary system that was affected. In young children, urinary tract infection symptoms may include diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, fever, and excessive crying.
The most common symptoms of a bladder infection are burning with urination (dysuria), frequency of urination, an urge to urinate, no vaginal discharge, and no significant pain.
Lower urinary tract infections in adults may manifest with symptoms including hematuria (blood in the urine), inability to urinate despite the urge, and malaise.
Women often have lower abdominal discomfort or feel bloated and experience sensations like their bladder is full.
Men may complain of dysuria, frequency, and urgency, other symptoms may include rectal, testicular, penile, or abdominal pain.
Newborns and infants may develop fever or hypothermia, poor feeding, jaundice, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Treatment
Oral antibiotics such as trimethoprim, cephalosporins, nitrofurantoin, or a fluoroquinolone substantially shorten the time to recovery. …

A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that affects any part of the urinary tract. The main etiologic agent is Escherichia coli. Although urine contains a variety of fluids, salts, and waste products, it does not usually have bacteria in it. When bacteria get into the bladder or kidney and multiply in the urine, they may cause a urinary tract infection.
The most common type of urinary tract infection is acute cystitis often referred to as a bladder infection. An infection of the upper urinary tract or kidney is known as pyelonephritis, and is potentially more serious. Although they cause discomfort, urinary tract infections can usually be easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. Symptoms include frequent feeling and/or need to urinate, pain during urination, and cloudy urine.
The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. The key elements in the system are the kidneys, a pair of purplish-brown organs located below the ribs toward the middle of the back. The kidneys remove excess liquid and wastes from the blood in the form of urine, keep a stable balance of salts and other substances in the blood, and produce a hormone that aids the formation of red blood cells. Narrow tubes called ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, a sack-like organ in the lower abdomen. Urine is stored in the bladder and emptied through the urethra.
Normally, urine is sterile. It is usually free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi but does contain fluids, salts, and waste products. An infection occurs when tiny organisms, usually …