Hemoglobinuria is the scientific term used to describe the presence of hemoglobin in the urine, which occurs when red blood cells are destroyed and one of its constituents, hemoglobin, is eliminated by urine, giving it a reddish, transparent color.
However, the presence of hemoglobin in the urine does not always cause symptoms and therefore, most of the time, it can only be detected after a urine test.
- Hemoglobinuria can occur in children.
- Adults and even pregnant women due to kidney infections.
- Kidney stones or severe kidney diseases such as pielonephritis or cancer.
- In any case it is always important for a urologist to evaluate each case to identify the cause and prescribe the best.
- Type of treatment.
Hemoglobin should not be found in the urine during a normal urine test; however, hemoglobin can occur due to certain situations, such as:
In addition, the presence of hemoglobin in the urine may be due to excess nocturnal hemoglobin due to cold or paroxysm, a rare type of hemolytic anemia in which there is an alteration of the red blood cell membrane, resulting in its destruction and the presence of blood hematites. cells in the urine.
The presence of hemoglobin in the urine is positive when, after a chemical test with test strip, signs, stripes or crosses appear in the strip, and negative when there are no changes.
Generally, the more stripes or crosses in the strip, the greater the amount of blood in the urine, however, it is always important to read the instructions on the packaging of the test strips, since the analysis of the results depends on the test strip lab.
In addition to the test strip, a microscopic examination, by sedimentoscopy, can also be done, which detects the amount of blood present, in this case less than 3 to 5 red blood cells per field or less than 10,000 cells per ml are considered normal.
Hemoglobinuria does not always cause symptoms, however, there may be changes in urine, such as redness and transparency In severe cases, due to the loss of a large amount of hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients, people can get tired easily, with fatigue and paleness, and even suffer from anemia.
Treatment of hemoglobin in urine depends on the cause and should be guided by a urologist, medications such as antibiotics, anemia or the application of a bladder catheter may be necessary during treatment.