Blood in your pee? Start here

What might you notice?

People describe it in different ways. Some see it once and never again. Others notice it on and off for weeks.

• Urine that looks pink, red, brown or cola-colored
• Small threads or clots in the toilet
• Blood at the start or the end of the stream
• No change you can see, but a urine test at a checkup was flagged
• Burning, urgency or pain in the side along with the color change

What can blood in the pee mean?

Many causes are treatable, such as a urinary infection, a kidney or bladder stone, or an enlarged prostate in men. Kidney conditions, a recent injury and very hard exercise can play a part too. Less often, blood is the first clue to a bladder or kidney cancer, and it often comes with no pain at all, so we’d rather look now than watch and hope.

Before anything else, we make sure it really is blood. Beets, blackberries and a few medicines can tint urine, and in women a period can show up in a sample, so a urine test settles it.

It stopped. Should I still call?

Yes. Urinary bleeding tends to stop and start on its own, even when something needs treating. A single episode of blood you could see is reason enough for an evaluation, and that holds if you take a blood thinner, too. If the blood was found on a test, we’ll look at your age, smoking history and other risks to plan the next step with you.

When should I call, and when is it the ER?

Call us to book a visit for any blood you’ve seen, or for blood found on more than one test. Call sooner if it comes with burning, fever or pain in your side.

Go to the emergency room if you pass large clots, can’t urinate, have a fever with the bleeding, or feel lightheaded.

What happens at your visit?

Most people are seen first in Snellville or Conyers. Here is how a visit usually goes:

1. We talk through when you saw the blood, how often, what color it was, and your medicines and smoking history.
2. A urine sample is checked for blood and infection; a culture or a check for abnormal cells may be sent.
3. We plan imaging of the kidneys and bladder, usually a CT scan, or an ultrasound or MRI when contrast dye isn’t right for you.
4. If a look inside the bladder is needed, cystoscopy is scheduled at our Snellville surgery center, where it’s done under anesthesia.
5. We go over every result with you and explain what comes next.

What if you find the cause?

Then we treat it. Infections get antibiotics, stones and an enlarged prostate have their own treatment plans, and if a cancer is found, our urologists care for that as well. Often the answer is reassuring, and knowing that is worth the visit. See our bladder cancer and kidney cancer pages for more.

Where can I be seen?

You can start in Snellville or Conyers. Ring (678) 344-8900 and we’ll set up the visit closest to home.

Who will I see?

Our urologists who evaluate bleeding in the urine: meet the whole team.

Is there a video on this?

Dr. Mally and the Advanced Urology podcast team explain it here.

What do people ask us?

Where can I read more?

• Blood in urine care
• Guide: what happens after you see blood
• What happens at a first visit and what to bring
• All symptom pages