Haematuria‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌elderly:‌ ‌8‌ ‌reasons‌ ‌why‌ ‌your‌ ‌parents‌ ‌have‌ ‌blood‌ ‌in‌ ‌their‌ ‌urine‌

It can be alarming for anyone to see blood in their urine, especially in the elderly. The situation when a person sees blood in their urine is also known as hematuria. It might look harmless, but in the later stages, it can very well aggravate. Plus, it can also be an indication of a bigger health issue. 

Both your parents can be a victim of this disorder. Here are some of the risk factors:

• People above the age of 50
• Who have a family history
• Who have been under medication for a really long period of time
• Who might have strenuous exercises like: marathon running, etc.
• People with kidney infections

Here’s why this problem is found in the elderly

According to Dr Tarun Jain, a urologist at Apollo Spectra, Mumbai, urinary problems are common in the elderly. In this condition, the affected areas are restricted to either the kidney or urinary tract. Basically, any of these infected parts are unable to filter out the blood cells and cause the leakage.

Here are some of the reasons why blood shows up in the urine are:

1. Urinary tract infection

UTI is one of the most common reasons; in fact, it is one of its biggest symptoms.

2. Enlargement of prostate

Prostate is basically a male organ situated right below the bladder in the pelvis, through which the urethra (tube carrying urine) passes. So, if your dad complains that he has seen a color change in his urine from light yellow to pink, then enlargement of the prostate can also be one of the reasons.

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“Prostate cancer is again a disease that is common in the elderly male population, wherein the prostate grows uncontrollably. It is the most common cancer to affect males. So, ignoring it can be a problem,” warns Dr Jain.

3. Enlargement of glands

“As age increases, the size of the gland increases and it compresses the urinary tube, leading to difficulty in passing urine,” says Dr Jain.

4. Diabetes

This is another age-related disease that can affect bladder function, leading to an increase in frequency and urgency, as well as poor flow of urine.

5. Other age-related dysfunction

In females, it can happen due to age-related bladder dysfunction, weak pelvic floor muscles, and senile atrophic vaginitis (post-menopausal condition).

6. Urinary tract stones

These stones are painless until the time they do not block the urine passage. The blood in the urine is microscopic, which is why it becomes harder to detect it in the initial stages.

7. Kidney infection

If your parent’s kidneys have some bacterial infection, then one of the signs can be having blood in the urine. That’s because the bacteria won’t let the organ work properly.

8. Sickle cell anemia

This is a hereditary condition found in the red blood cells of the person. It is a defect of hemoglobin, and in most cases, blood in the urine is reported by the patient.

“Get your parents checked by a physician/urologist. S/he will examine them and may request for a CT scan, and a few blood and urine samples, if they complain about their urine. Also, having an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits can help in curtailing this disorder to an extent,” concludes Dr Jain.