What does red cell distribution width indicate?
A red cell distribution width (RDW) test is a measurement of the range in the volume and size of your red blood cells (erythrocytes). Red blood cells move oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body. Your cells need oxygen to grow, reproduce, and stay healthy.
What causes red blood cells to be high?
High red blood cell count may be caused by low oxygen levels, kidney disease or other problems.
How do you reduce red blood cells in urine?
Depending on the condition causing your hematuria, treatment might involve taking antibiotics to clear a urinary tract infection, trying a prescription medication to shrink an enlarged prostate or having shock wave therapy to break up bladder or kidney stones. In some cases, no treatment is necessary.
What causes red blood cells in urine?
Some more serious causes of blood in the urine are cancer, infection, enlarged prostate (men only), kidney or bladder stones, and certain diseases (like sickle cell anemia and cystic kidney disease). Blood in the urine can often be diagnosed with urine tests.
What is the normal range of red blood cells in urine?
Normal Results A normal result is 4 red blood cells per high power field (RBC/HPF) or less when the sample is examined under a microscope. The example above is a common measurement for a result of this test. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories.
Is it normal to have RBC in urine?
RBCs aren’t usually present in urine, so there isn’t a normal range. However, if you’re menstruating when you provide a urine sample, your urine will likely contain RBCs. This isn’t cause for concern, but make sure to tell your doctor before providing the sample that you’re menstruating.
What happens if RBC count is high in urine?
A high count of red blood cells in the urine can indicate infection, trauma, tumors, or kidney stones. If red blood cells seen under microscopy look distorted, they suggest kidney as the possible source and may arise due to kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis).
What does a urologist do when you have blood in your urine?
Cystoscopy. This is a procedure a urologist performs to see inside the bladder and urethra (the tube that allows urine to pass out of the body). The doctor uses a thin tube with a camera and light on the end–called a cystoscope–to look for cancer cells or other problems. Kidney imaging tests.
Can dehydration cause RBC in urine?
Although it happens rarely, it’s not quite clear why strenuous exercise may lead to gross hematuria. It may be linked to trauma to the bladder, dehydration or the breakdown of red blood cells that occurs with sustained aerobic exercise.
Why do I have blood in my urine but no infection?
Blood in the urine doesn’t always mean you have bladder cancer. More often it’s caused by other things like an infection, benign (not cancer) tumors, stones in the kidney or bladder, or other benign kidney diseases. Still, it’s important to have it checked by a doctor so the cause can be found.
What does blood in a woman’s urine mean?
In hematuria, your kidneys — or other parts of your urinary tract — allow blood cells to leak into urine. Various problems can cause this leakage, including: Urinary tract infections. These occur when bacteria enter your body through the urethra and multiply in your bladder.
