Overview
Seeing blood while you wipe to clean can be frustrating. Although it’s not commonly talked about, experiencing specs of blood when you wipe during a UTI is becoming quite common. It can happen due to inflammation caused by a UTI, which causes bacteria and damage to the urinary tract lining. Other causes can be a bladder infection or an affected urethra.
This bleeding subsides once the UTI is properly diagnosed and treated with antibiotics.
You will learn further causes of bleeding during UTI when you pee and how it can be prevented or treated later in this blog.
Can a UTI cause bleeding – Is it normal?
You might have heard about symptoms of UTIs, including burning urination, the urgency to pee more frequently, a burning sensation after the pee, and smelly or cloudy urine, but have you ever experienced bleeding or heard of it? Probably not! Indeed, it’s not common to experience bleeding with a UTI, but it’s not impossible.
You can get bleeding, if not continuous, but when you wipe it clean with tissue paper, you might experience a little blood or snot on it. It is very common to experience bleeding in your pee (hematuria) with urinary tract infections. It happens due to the bacteria causing the infection. These bacteria cause infection and inflammation in the lining of your urinary tract infections, sometimes resulting in a small amount of blood excreted with urine, similar to red blood specs.
How long do you bleed with a UTI?
The bleeding due to UTI is not as continuous as menstrual blood. You will only experience the UTI blood when you pee, which usually stays until your UTIs are properly treated with the right antibiotics.
Once your UTIs are properly treated with antibiotics, the bleeding, along with all the other symptoms like smelly urine and urgency to pee, will disappear.
While a UTI can cause bleeding in the urine, persistent blood in the urine (hematuria) could also be a sign of more serious conditions such as kidney stones, bladder infections, or even bladder cancer. This is why it’s always important to seek medical advice– says Dr.Richard Honekar.
What causes bleeding during a UTI?
Bleeding during UTIs usually happens due to different factors in the Urinary tract. Some of the most common causes are:
- Bacterial Inflammation – Irritation of the urinary tract lining due to bacteria.
- Severe Bladder Infection (Hemorrhagic Cystitis) – Inflammation of the bladder that causes blood vessels to rupture.
- Irritated Urethra – The infection can cause damage to the urethral walls, leading to bleeding.
- Kidney damage – If the UTI spreads to the kidneys, it can damage internal tissues and cause bleeding.
- Excessive Strain During Urination – Straining while urinating due to discomfort can rupture small blood vessels.
How do I treat UTI bleeding?
Bleeding due to UTI can only be stopped by treating it with the right antibiotics prescribed by a healthcare provider. First-line antibiotics are recommended for effective treatment:
- Nitrofurantoin (Nitrofuran derivative)
- Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (sulphonamide class)
- Fosfomycin
- Amoxicillin/Clavulanate (Penicillin-Beta lactamase inhibitor).
These are all the prescription antibiotics prescribed only after a careful diagnosis by a healthcare provider.
Over-the-counter options
OTC medications,
- like Phenazopyridine (pyridium), can help provide symptomatic relief by reducing pain, burning, and discomfort during urination. They can also lessen the visible blood in the urine but are not a substitute for antibiotics.
- Medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen may help manage pain or discomfort associated with the UTI but will not address the infection.
When should I consult a doctor?
Consult your healthcare provider when you notice UTI symptoms like burning urine, cloudy urine, or smelly urine to get the right prescription of antibiotics for treatment. Bleeding is also one of the common symptoms and should subside when it gets treated. In case of persistent observance of bleeding when you wipe to clean, talk to your healthcare provider for effective diagnosis and treatment.
FAQs about uti bloody discharge
During UTI, it’s normal to have small blood, like specs, every time you pee, as it indicates one of the symptoms of UTIs. More than that, like menstural blood, it can indicate serious underlying medical conditions that need to be treated.
