Blood in the urine
Blood in the urine, even once, is a reason to get checked.
Blood in the urine can be obvious, or it can be found on a test when the urine still looks clear. Either way, our Alpharetta / Roswell urologists will give it a complete look rather than assume it has already explained itself.
What does blood in the urine look like?
Urine may look pink, red or cola-colored, or a dipstick or lab test may find blood when the urine still looks clear. Both count, and our urologists treat a lab finding as seriously as a color you can see. Blood may come and go, so a later sample that looks ordinary does not settle the question by itself.
If it already stopped, do I still need to be seen?
Yes. A single episode is still a reason for a complete look, even if the next time you urinated everything looked normal. A workout, a stone that already passed or a brief infection can be part of the story, and none of those should be assumed from the color alone. Bring any urine results you already have, including the date and the exact wording on the report, to 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell.
When should I go to the emergency room?
Go to an emergency room, or call 911, if the bleeding is heavy, if you are passing clots, if you cannot urinate at all, or if blood in the urine comes with fever, chills, or sudden severe pain in the side or back. Those are not symptoms to hold for a scheduled visit. This page is for planning an office evaluation; it is not a diagnosis and it is not a substitute for emergency care.
What happens at the visit, and which tests may be used?
The visit starts with your history: when you noticed the change, your medicines including blood thinners, and any recent infection, stone or prostate treatment. A urine test is usually part of that first look, and imaging of the kidneys and the tubes that carry urine to the bladder is often added. A cystoscopy, a direct look into the bladder, may also be recommended; our urologists explain which steps they advise, and why, before anything is scheduled.
What is a cystoscopy?
A cystoscopy is a direct look at the lining of the bladder and the urethra with a thin camera, used when imaging alone might miss a source. You will hear what the day involves before the test is done. Afterward, a short stretch of sting or light blood in the urine is often expected; fever, inability to urinate or heavy bleeding afterward should be treated as urgent.
What can cause blood in the urine?
Infection, a kidney or bladder stone, an enlarged prostate, tumors of the bladder, kidney or urinary lining, some medicines and recent procedures can all cause blood to appear. Our urologists will not treat the color of the urine as a diagnosis in itself; they name the source when they find it, or explain the next test if it is still unclear. If the workup points toward a stone, start with kidney stones; if it points toward a cancer concern, see bladder cancer care or kidney cancer care.
What should I bring to the visit?
Any urine results, imaging reports and, if you can obtain them, the images themselves, plus a written medicine list that includes blood thinners. What to bring, and a word about insurance is a fuller checklist, including how benefits are checked. We do not list self-pay prices on this site.
Our team at the Alpharetta / Roswell office
Dr. Rut Patel, MD, Director of Robotic Surgery
Physician assistant Anna McMaster, PA-C
Physician assistant Alysha Naran, PA-C
Physician assistant Austin Durden, PA-C
Physician assistant Payton Eason, PA-C
Family nurse practitioner Zohra Sayani, FNP
Our urologists — Dr. Herman Bagga, Dr. Rut Patel, Advanced Urology’s Director of Robotic Surgery, and Dr. Kushan Radadia — see adults from Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton, Crabapple and Mountain Park at 11660 Alpharetta Hwy Ste 700, Roswell, GA 30076. Physician assistants Anna McMaster, Alysha Naran, Austin Durden and Payton Eason, and family nurse practitioner Zohra Sayani, work beside them. Meet the full team.
Communities we see at this office
You are seen at our Alpharetta / Roswell Clinic & Surgery Center, whether you are coming from Roswell, Milton, Crabapple or Mountain Park, or from Alpharetta itself. Our office page has the address, parking and how the clinic and surgery center share this building. All areas we serve.
Related video
An official Advanced Urology conversation on blood in the urine:
Related: bladder cancer care · kidney cancer care · kidney stones · our office · blood in the urine at Advanced Urology
For education, not medical advice. Every treatment has risks and benefits. Emergency? Call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Whenever you’re ready, our Alpharetta / Roswell team would be glad to hear from you.