Can Blood in Urine Go Away on Its Own?

What Is Blood in Urine?

Hematuria simply means the presence of red blood cells in the urine. It has been recognized as a sign of medical illness since antiquity. Yet it is only in the modern era that we have developed the technology to detect invisible blood. So, there are 2 main types of hematuria:  

• Macroscopic or gross hematuria: Visible blood or pink/red urine.
• Microscopic hematuria: Blood is only seen under a microscope.

Unlike visible blood in the urine (gross hematuria), microscopic hematuria is a sign, not a symptom, because you can’t see it yourself. About 6.5% of healthy people in screening studies have microscopic hematuria.

Will Blood in Urine Go Away Without Treatment?

Yes, it can, but not always. Even if the blood disappears, it doesn’t mean everything is fine. You should not wait for several days and hope it will go away by itself. It’s important to find out why it happened, especially if you’re over 35 or have risk factors like smoking. In some cases, blood in urine can be a sign of a serious condition. That’s why it’s best to check with a doctor, even if the problem seems to go away.

And it's important to remember that any ongoing or repeated hematuria, even without other symptoms, should always be evaluated by a urologist, because when something’s not quite right, your body tends to send gentle reminders until it’s addressed.

Common Causes of Blood in Urine

Temporary Causes (Often Resolves on Its Own)

• Strenuous Exercise: This is really common in runners and athletes, and can happen for two main reasons:

  • Physical impact: Repeated movement or pressure can cause small injuries to the kidneys or bladder, leading to bleeding.

  • Reduced blood flow: During exercise, your body sends more blood to the muscles and less to the kidneys. This can cause mild damage, making the kidneys leak small amounts of blood and protein into the urine.

• Mild Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): When the lining of the bladder becomes inflamed from infection, small blood vessels can break and leak blood into the urine. Short courses of antibiotics can resolve hematuria. 

• Sexual Activity: It's also some kind of intense exercise, but this is usually due to mild irritation or minor injury to the bladder, urethra, or prostate (in men) during intercourse

More Serious Causes (Needs Medical Evaluation)

• Kidney Stones: Stones can scratch or irritate the lining of the urinary tract as they move, causing bleeding and blood to appear in the urine..
• Urinary Tract Infections: If not treated, UTIs can cause significant bleeding. The infection makes the urinary tract inflamed, which can damage small blood vessels and cause blood to leak into the urine.
• Prostate Conditions: In older men with an enlarged prostate (BPH), blood in the urine is often caused by prostate problems.
• Bladder, Kidney, or Prostate Cancer: Especially in people over 50 or those with a history of smoking or occupational chemical exposure. Cancers are the most potentially troubling etiologies of hematuria, and sometimes the only sign of cancer is hematuria. Up to 5% of people with microscopic hematuria but no other symptoms are found to have cancer somewhere in the urinary tract. The risk is higher in men, people over 35, and those with a history of smoking.

When to See a Urologist

To avoid complications of hematuria, consult a urologist if:

• Blood persists beyond 24–48 hours, after strenuous exercise.
• Hematuria recurs.
• You experience any of the symptoms listed below.
  • Painful or burning urination
  • Frequent urge to urinate
  • Lower back, abdominal, or side pain
  • Visible blood clots in urine
  • Fever or chills.
• You are over 35 or have risk factors like smoking, prior cancer, or recurrent UTIs.

It’s always better to prevent problems than to treat complications later. With the right diagnostic tools, we can find the cause of hematuria and help prevent it from coming back.

Diagnosis and Tests

First of all, we need to understand is it really blood or just urine became discolored because of food ( like eggs, beets, blackberries, and fava beans). To do that, doctors order:

• Urinalysis: It helps to find out if there are red blood cells, suspicion of infection(white blood cells, nitrites,) and other abnormalities

And if there’s blood in the urine, it’s important to do further tests to find the real cause of the hematuria.

• Urine Culture:  Detects bacteria to confirm or rule out a urinary tract infection, and helps for proper antibacterial therapy.
• Imaging Tests
  • Ultrasound (non-invasive and often the first step)
  • CT Urography (detailed images of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder)
  • MRI Urography (for patients who can’t have CT scans)
• Cystoscopy: If there’s any concern or suspicion of bladder cancer, cystoscopy is considered the “gold standard” examination. A small camera is inserted into the bladder through the urethra to directly check for tumors, stones, or other abnormalities
• Ureteroscopy(URS): If further evaluation of the ureters or kidneys is needed, a procedure called ureteroscopy (URS) may be performed. In URS, a thin scope is passed through the bladder and into the ureters or kidneys to examine these areas and, if necessary, take tissue samples or remove stones.
• Blood Tests: Blood tests also check kidney function and look for bleeding disorders. Some patients take medications that reduce the blood’s ability to clot, making bleeding, including hematuria, more likely. That’s why checking blood clotting (coagulation) factors is also important.

Treatment Options for Blood in Urine

As you can see, there are many possible causes of blood in the urine, so treatment depends on what’s causing the hematuria:

• Exercise or minor trauma: Usually requires no treatment. Good rest, adequate hydration helps to forget about it.
• UTIs: Treated with antibiotics based on urine culture results
• Stones: Some stones may pass naturally with the help of medications and hydration. Larger stones might need procedures like shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), ureterorenoscopy (URS), or percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL)
• Tumors or serious causes: Early detection allows for more effective treatment. In some cases, blood in the urine is actually a helpful early warning sign that leads to finding and treating cancer at an early stage.