Overview
Hematuria is the medical name for the presence of blood cells in urine (pee). Healthcare providers label blood in urine as gross, microscopic or dipstick.
- Gross hematuria occurs when there’s enough blood present in your urine that it’s visible to the naked eye. It can turn toilet water a pale pink or bright red color.
- Microscopic hematuria happens when your urine has blood in it, but the amount is too small for humans to see. In fact, you need a microscope to see it.
- Dipstick hematuria results when oxidation of a urine test strip causes a color change. It doesn’t always mean that blood cells are present in your urine. Dipstick tests have relatively high false-positive rates.
How common is blood in urine?
Blood in urine is a common finding. It affects an estimated 2% to 30% of the U.S. adult population.
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