Elevated red blood cells in urine in women

Increased red blood cells in the urine of women are an important diagnostic sign that may indicate various pathological conditions, increased stress on internal organs and systems, disruption of adaptation processes, and much more.

Causes of increased red blood cells in urine in women

The main reasons for the appearance of an increased level of red blood cells in the urine are the same for both men and women. Conventionally, all reasons can be divided into several groups:

1. inflammatory processes of the kidneys and urinary organs, schistosomiasis; [ 1 ]
2. oncological diseases of the bladder and urinary tract; [ 2 ]
3. hormonal imbalance;
4. intoxication of the body (including general poisoning, toxicosis of pregnancy);
5. increased load on the kidneys, disruption of the normal functional state;
6. urinary stones;
7. trauma: penetrating or blunt;
8. hemorrhagic cystitis;
9. endometriosis;
10. nephrological disease: IgA nephropathy, glomerulonephritis;
11. post-procedural bleeding - eg, transurethral surgery;
12. blood coagulation disorder, anticoagulant therapy;
13. arteriovenous malformation / angiomyolipoma. [ 3 ]

Normal performance

Normally, there should be no red blood cells in the urine. In women, no more than 1-3 red blood cells are allowed in the preparation (single). [ 4 ]

Raising and lowering of values

If traces of red blood cells are found in a woman's urine, this may indicate an elevated blood glucose level, the development of diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. This may be one of the signs of a temporary increase in blood glucose that develops during pregnancy. It is necessary to pay attention to the functional state of the kidneys, perhaps they are experiencing increased stress and require additional protection and support. A similar picture may also be a consequence of hormonal imbalance, often developing as a result of insufficient production of vasopressin (a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that promotes vasoconstriction and increased blood pressure). The functioning of vasopressin entails a process in which the kidneys release part of the purified fluid from the urine back into the blood.

Red blood cells in the urine of a pregnant woman

A pregnant woman should not normally have red blood cells in her urine. If they do appear, this indicates the development of an inflammatory process, disruption of the normal functioning of the kidneys, liver, disruption of the hormonal background, in particular, a decrease in the level of vasopressin. This can also be a sign of toxicosis. [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Leukocytes and erythrocytes in urine in women

If leukocytes are found in the urine, this is a sign of an inflammatory process, since leukocytes are the cells that first migrate to the site of inflammation. An increase in the number of erythrocytes also indicates the development of a pathological process. This can be either an inflammatory or non-inflammatory process. Often, the number of erythrocytes increases against the background of a violation of blood function. The detection of leukocytes and erythrocytes in the urine, especially in women and children, is a negative sign and requires detailed diagnostics.

Red blood cells and protein in urine in women

Protein in the urine indicates the development of kidney pathology. Red blood cells can be a sign of an inflammatory process. In women, this can also be a sign of gynecological diseases, endocrine dysfunction. It is worth noting that it is especially important to monitor these indicators during pregnancy, since at this time the body is in a state of adaptation, the load on the kidneys, liver, and other organs increases significantly, and intoxication of the body develops.

Unchanged red blood cells in urine in women

The appearance of unchanged red blood cells in urine is often observed in diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract. In women, a similar picture is also observed against the background of pregnancy, toxicosis, after childbirth, and this is a negative sign that indicates that the kidneys cannot cope with the load. It can also be a sign of toxicosis of pregnancy, may indicate the development of poisoning. A similar picture is observed in hypertension, any other diseases associated with vascular tone, the circulatory system. In more severe cases, this clinical picture may indicate the development of malignant tumors and severe diseases of the urinary tract, including the kidneys (pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, nephritis, tuberculosis of the kidneys).

Altered red blood cells in urine in women

Altered erythrocytes often appear in urine as a result of poisoning, toxicosis in pregnant women. Usually, such a picture develops against the background of poisoning with heavy metals. Depending on the number of such erythrocytes and the level of changes, one can judge the nature of the pathological process: from a mild inflammatory process to severe renal failure.

In this case, the appearance of altered erythrocytes in the urine in combination with pronounced polyuria indicates the development of severe renal failure. Thus, normally, 65 to 80% of the liquid drunk should be excreted with the kidneys. If more than 2 liters of urine are excreted, this condition is called polyuria. This indicates the inability of the kidneys to concentrate urine, as a result of which an excessive amount is excreted.

Single red blood cells in urine in women

The appearance of single red blood cells in urine requires repeated diagnostics, especially in women, due to the proximity of reproductive organs. This may be a sign of an inflammatory process, dysfunction, gynecological diseases. But red blood cells can also accidentally get into the urine, for example, during menstruation, as a result of improper toilet of the external genitalia. Mandatory repeated analysis is required to confirm or refute the diagnosis.

Red blood cells in urine in elderly women

If red blood cells appear in the urine of elderly women, this is a negative sign that may indicate a violation of the functional state of the kidneys, an increased load on them. This may be a sign of degenerative processes, inflammation, the development of infection, and may also indicate a violation of the concentrating ability of the kidneys, which occurs in connection with the development of chronic kidney diseases. At the same time, a violation of the normal ratio between the amount of daytime and nighttime urine can be noted (changes towards an increase in nighttime diuresis). [ 9 ] The prevalence of asymptomatic microhematuria ranges from 2 to 30% depending on the definitions used and the age and sex of the population studied. [ 10 ] Vitamin D deficiency correlates with hematuria in women, especially after menopause. [ 11 ]

Red blood cells in urine after childbirth

After childbirth, red blood cells may remain in the urine for some time. This is a negative sign, so recovery must be monitored. This may be a consequence of blood entering the urine (from the uterus, vaginal discharge, remnants of amniotic fluid). But also increased red blood cells in the urine in women may indicate the development of inflammatory and degenerative processes in the kidneys, hemolytic uremic syndrome. [ 12 ] Often this is a sign of bleeding, or an increased risk of its development. In addition, this may indicate intense hormonal changes, a change in the functional state of the body. [ 13 ], [ 14 ]