It can be easy to write off a bit of blood from a small scrape or cut on the outside of your body, and seeing a little bit of blood in your urine might bring up those same feelings of a not-so-serious problem. However, when it comes to blood in your pee there is always a serious reason that requires medical attention. Even if you just see it one time you should make sure to go and get checked by your primary care physician, and here are a few reasons why.
Eliminating Obvious Causes
More often then not your doctor will test you for a urinary tract infection or kidney stones. These sorts of conditions are rarely major issues but they can still cause blood in the urine, and they can be quite painful if not dealt with quickly. Trying to figure out treatment for these issues without seeing a doctor is a minefield. However, if treatments for these conditions do not work, or your sample comes back negative for them, then your condition could stem from cancer or benign tumours.
Bladder Cancer Treatment
Bladder cancer is not one of the most common types of cancer but every year about 3,000 Australians are diagnosed with it. Often the first sign is blood in the urine, from which you will likely follow the previously laid out pathway to this point. Then you will often have an ultrasound which is virtually always followed by a cystoscopy, which is a procedure where a small metal device is inserted into the bladder via the urethra. Most of the time the cancer is in situ, which means located within the walls of the bladder, and can be scraped off by the cystoscopy.
Follow Up Treatment
After the initial bladder cancer treatment, you will likely have the BCG vaccine applied directly into your bladder. This vaccine arouses your immune system to fight off any regrowth of cancer. If the cancer is not purely located within your bladder then more serious operations will be needed to fight it off. You will be given a schedule of appointments where you will be checked for progress and you may need a few more cystoscopies. Bladder cancer treatment is very effective when it is performed in this initial stage, which is why it is so vital that you always go to your doctor if you notice any blood in your urine.
For more information about bladder cancer treatment, contact a doctor.
Share20 May 2020
I have tried to quit smoking three times over the last few years, but it never really stuck. My mother just got diagnosed with lung cancer, and it's given me the wakeup call that I have been waiting for. I have quit smoking again, but this time I spoke to my doctor before I started and it's made a lot of difference. He organised some nicotine replacement products and counselling to help me quit for good this time. I have started this blog to let people know how much easier it is to quit when your doctor is helping you.
