BLEEDING FROM URINARY TRACT

Bleeding in the urine (Haematuria) is a symptom of serious significance, whether gross, mild or microscopic. However, an occasional RBC in urine especially after vigorous exercise or excitement may not be considered abnormal.

In the first place, true haematuria must be from rectal or vaginal bleeding in women by careful history taking. Secondly, it must be distinguished from false hae-maturia, i.e. a reddish discolouration of urine caused by certain drugs and pigments contained in certain drugs and foods. Urine does not show any red cells under the micro- scope.

Another point of importance is that bleeding which is immediately passed, as from bladder or urethra, is red in color; but when urine has stood for some time in the bladder, the hemoglobin changes into acid haematin, giving urine a smoky color. Hence all bleeding from the kidney, unless brisk, are smoky. When the hemorrhage is small, there may be no change in color on naked eye examination of the urine, but red cells are detected on a microscopic examination of the urinary deposit.

Approximately, three-fourth of all cases of haematuria are accounted for by tumours, stones and other obstructions, infections of the urinary tract or trauma to the kidney, bladder or urethra. They are surgical conditions and therefore treated by surgeon.

Less than one-fourth of the cases are caused by parenchymatous lesions of the kidney, e.g. glomerulonephritis, malignant hypertension, or general conditions such as bleeding diSorders or overdose of anticoagulant drugs. These are the cases which a physician is expected to treat.

Homoeopathic treatment initially acts by reducing the infection, or any underlying pathological causes and then start improving general health. Homoeopathic medicines like cantharis vesicatoria, nux vomica and sarsaparilla officinalis work on urinary tract infections, lycopodium clavatum, pulsatilla pratenisis, causticum and belladonna are useful in treating urinary calculi.