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How To Detect Blood In Urine?
Question: I am trying to find out how do you tell whether there is blood in your urine. My urine once in a while has a deep yellowish reddish color
Brief Answer:
Need specific testing to confirm blood in urine
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. Specific testing is needed to confirm if blood is present in the urine. A red or brownish color is suggestive, but not definite. You also want to know if actual red blood cells are present in the urine, or if the hemoglobin from ruptured RBCs in the bloodstream is the cause.
Chemical tests can indicate the presence of hemoglobin or RBCs (also myoglobin from muscle cells). A dipstick test is routinely done for urinalysis. The dipstick has several blocks containing chemicals that react with RBCs, WBCs, the urine's acidity, and other constituents in the urine. If the block for blood turns positive when the dipstick is inserted in the urine, then the urine needs to be examined under the microscope to see if red blood cells are physically present. If RBCs are not observed, then further evaluation with specialized blood and urine chemical tests might be needed to find out if this is myoglobin or hemoglobin coming from some abnormal process within the body.
If you can get your urine tested with a routine urinalysis at the time you notice the reddish color, you should be able to find out for sure if blood is present. Talk to your doctor about the situation. He or she should be able to test for that when it happens, or give you a collection cup to collect a sample at home when it does happen.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
Need specific testing to confirm blood in urine
Detailed Answer:
Hi, thank you for using Healthcare Magic. Specific testing is needed to confirm if blood is present in the urine. A red or brownish color is suggestive, but not definite. You also want to know if actual red blood cells are present in the urine, or if the hemoglobin from ruptured RBCs in the bloodstream is the cause.
Chemical tests can indicate the presence of hemoglobin or RBCs (also myoglobin from muscle cells). A dipstick test is routinely done for urinalysis. The dipstick has several blocks containing chemicals that react with RBCs, WBCs, the urine's acidity, and other constituents in the urine. If the block for blood turns positive when the dipstick is inserted in the urine, then the urine needs to be examined under the microscope to see if red blood cells are physically present. If RBCs are not observed, then further evaluation with specialized blood and urine chemical tests might be needed to find out if this is myoglobin or hemoglobin coming from some abnormal process within the body.
If you can get your urine tested with a routine urinalysis at the time you notice the reddish color, you should be able to find out for sure if blood is present. Talk to your doctor about the situation. He or she should be able to test for that when it happens, or give you a collection cup to collect a sample at home when it does happen.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further questions, I would be happy to answer them.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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