Guide To The Causes Of Blood In Urine (Hematuria)

Cancer

Certain types of cancer may have blood in the urine as a symptom. The most common type of cancer known to cause hematuria is bladder cancer. The bladder is a muscular structure in the lower pelvis and it is responsible for holding urine until it is ready to be expelled from the body. Urine is produced by the kidneys and moves through tubes referred to as ureters before it reaches the bladder to be stored. The bladder is made of several muscles that expand and contract with the varying volumes of urine produced by the kidneys. When cancerous cells form in the bladder, the inner lining of the bladder wall becomes damaged. Tiny blood vessels that supply the bladder lining with blood become damaged or destroyed, allowing blood to leak into the urine.

Polycystic Kidney Disease

Hematuria may develop due to polycystic kidney disease, a disorder where numerous fluid-filled sacs or cysts develop in the kidneys. These cysts take up space, crowding out and damaging the healthy cells that make up the kidney tissues. Polycystic kidney disease makes it difficult for an affected individual's kidneys to do their job and filter waste from the blood that flows through them. The kidneys in an affected individual may become enlarged and can fail as a complication of polycystic kidney disease. The fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys can cause the small vessels in the glomeruli to rupture or become damaged. This malfunction allows blood to leak into the urine being produced. Blood remains in the urine as it flows through the ureters to the bladder and exits the body.