Blood in urine is called hematuria. If the blood is visible to the eye, it should be checked even if it goes away later. The urine may look pink, red, brown, or cola-coloured. The colour does not tell the whole story, because a small amount of blood can change the colour clearly.
Not all red urine is blood. Beetroot, heavy exercise, and menstrual blood can confuse the picture. Still, visible blood in urine is a symptom that should not be explained away by guesswork.
What it may look like#
The urine may be light pink, bright red, brown, or cloudy. If the blood comes from the urinary tract, it often colours the urine itself rather than only the toilet paper.
If clots appear, urinating can become painful or difficult. If the blood is only seen on paper, the source may sometimes be outside the urinary tract, so the pattern matters.
Common causes#
A urinary tract infection can cause burning, a frequent need to pass urine, lower abdominal pain, and sometimes blood in the urine. If fever, side pain, or a clearly unwell feeling are present, the infection may have moved higher in the urinary tract.
Kidney stones can also cause blood in urine, often with strong pain in the side or back. Other causes can include structural changes, prostate symptoms, kidney disease, and urinary tract tumours. That is why visible blood should be checked even when pain is absent.
Heavy exercise can sometimes cause temporary colour change. If the symptom keeps returning or looks clearly bloody, it should not be dismissed as exercise alone.
When it may be urgent#
A quicker review is needed if blood in urine comes with fever, side or back pain, strong lower abdominal pain, vomiting, clots, trouble passing urine, or a clearly reduced urine flow. New visible blood in urine in an adult also deserves attention even when there is no pain.
What to note before the review#
If there are no urgent warning signs, it helps to note when the blood first appeared, whether it was at the start or end of urination, and whether there is burning, frequency, fever, side pain, lower abdominal pain, recent exercise, or a possible food that could change the colour.
That information helps the review go faster, but home observation does not replace assessment when the blood is visible.
When to contact healthcare services in Finland#
Contact healthcare services in Finland if you can see blood in urine with the naked eye. Seek same-day review if there is fever, side or back pain, strong lower abdominal pain, clots, trouble passing urine, vomiting, or clearly reduced general condition.
Get a review also if the symptom comes back, if you are pregnant, if the patient is a child, or if there is no clear explanation for the blood.
Further reading and sources#
Further reading: