Why can a woman have red urine?

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

A change in the natural yellow color of urine is usually a cause for concern. Red urine looks especially frightening. Such a shade of urine may indicate pathology or be the result of pigmentation after eating certain foods.

Red urine in women

The urine of a healthy person is transparent, has a light yellow tint, and is characterized by a specific, but not pungent odor. A change in one of the indicators signals the onset of pathology. Color transformation often occurs due to blood entering the discharge. It is impossible to find out why this happens on its own, this condition accompanies hundreds of chronic diseases or may require urgent medical attention.

The causes of staining are not always dangerous to health, it can be a natural manifestation after eating beets and some other products and medicines.

causes of blood ingestion

The main factor provoking a change in the shade of urine is hematuria or blood in the urine.

This is a common symptom of a whole range of diseases:

• glomerulonephritis - kidney disease;
• hemophilia - problems with blood clotting;
• urinary tract infections;
• cystitis - inflammation of the bladder;
• oncological diseases;
• porphyria - genetic pathology;
• trauma to the urinary tract and lumbar region;
• admixture of menstrual blood.

Possible reasons:

1. When kidney stones form, some of them enter the bladder and injure its walls. The result is red urine. A disease such as glomerulonephritis leads to a thinning of the vessels of the kidneys. The filtering qualities of the organ decrease, and urine becomes an unpleasant red color, which is one of the symptoms of pathology.
2. The initial stage of bladder cancer proceeds without obvious signs, but due to rupture of the vessels supplying the tumor, hematuria occurs. If blood is detected in the discharge, it is worth undergoing a full diagnosis, because the timely detection of oncological diseases gives high chances of cure.
3. One of the reasons why the urine turns red is hemoglobinuria. The disease is characterized by abnormally rapid breakdown of red blood cells. Free hemoglobin is excreted through the kidneys, so the urine is stained.
4. Porphyria is a rare congenital disorder that causes hemoglobin production to fail. In an organism with a similar pathology, the kidneys filter out a substance that precedes hemoglobin - porphyrin. From it, the shade of urine is transformed.
5. If the cause of the color change is the pathology of the urinary tract, then not all urine is stained, the shade changes at the beginning or end of urination. By the saturation of the color, the doctor can roughly determine the causes of the appearance of blood, more precisely, identify the area of the urinary system that needs treatment.

Change in the color of urine in a woman after beets

The reasons that change the color of urine are not always a sign of the disease. Why does this happen in healthy people? Usually, the staining is caused by substances that have entered the body with certain foods or drinks. After beets or blackberries, urine may turn red. Taking some phenolphthalein-based laxatives has the same effect.

Why does the color of the discharge change after the beets? A tasty and healthy vegetable contains many trace elements and vitamins necessary for the body. It has active antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Beet salad or juice is recommended for pregnant women with anemia. The reason is that after eating a vegetable, the color of the discharge varies from pink to red, carotenoids. These substances are natural pigments, thanks to which vegetables (beets, carrots) and fruits (apricots, strawberries) are colored in different shades of red and orange.

Carotenoids ingested with food serve as antioxidants. Part of the pigments from the beets enters the kidneys, and after filtration - into the urine.

To understand the reasons for the appearance of staining, you can do a test at home. With the help of baking soda and vinegar, it is easy to determine the urine after beets is red or hematuria is to blame. It is necessary to collect 100 ml of urine in a vessel and add half a teaspoon of soda. If the staining was due to beets, then it will disappear. After that, vinegar is poured in, the acid will return the bright shade of the pigment. Another indicator is that if the urine is red from beets, it remains clear, and when the cause is in the blood, it becomes cloudy.

Red urine during pregnancy

The state of the body of a pregnant woman is under constant control. Urine analysis is the main indicator by which the health of the expectant mother is judged. During this period, women are especially attentive to their health, therefore, a change in the color of urine causes justified excitement.

Normally, the color of urinary system secretions ranges from light straw to deep yellow.

The color change is provoked by special pigments, the presence of which is caused by various reasons:

• taking medications;
• food and drinks;
• organ pathology.

The appearance of a pink or reddish tint in urine indicates the presence of blood. Its entry into the discharge is a symptom of kidney inflammation, urolithiasis, cystitis and other pathologies. Such diseases are accompanied by additional signs: high fever, swelling, painful sensations when urinating.

A woman should inform the gynecologist about all of these manifestations. The doctor will figure out what caused the color change of the tests, and, if necessary, prescribe a course of treatment.

Treatment methods

The first thing that the doctor will prescribe is a general urine test.

Research needs to be done in several areas:

1. protein level;
2. the number of red blood cells;
3. the presence of bacteria;
4. determination of toxins.

Changing the color of urine does not need treatment, attention is directed to eliminating the problem that caused it. To establish a diagnosis, you will need to conduct a blood test, ultrasound of the kidneys and other organs. Medicines will be prescribed based on the results of the examination.

To restore health, complex therapy is prescribed, it includes antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs:

• Furagin is an antimicrobial agent prescribed for urinary tract infections: cystitis, pyelonephritis.
• Urolesan is a drug used to treat kidney infections and remove stones.
• Phytolysin - has an analgesic and bactericidal effect, it is recommended for pyelonephritis and urolithiasis.

Unusual coloration can be caused by heavy physical exertion, in such a situation medication is not needed, enough rest, after 2-3 days the red urine will end, its color will return to normal.

Prophylaxis

Prevention of diseases that cause discoloration of urine does not require much effort.

It is enough to follow a few rules:

1. drink more fluids;
2. limit the use of salt and foods that provoke the formation of kidney stones;
3. visit baths and saunas, procedures with steam and essential oil of coniferous trees have an anti-inflammatory effect;
4. avoid hypothermia, refuse to swim in cold waters;
5. drink tea with the addition of medicinal plants: raspberries, linden, sage.