Q: Today I saw blood in urine. What is the cause of blood in urine? I have high BP and I smoke too. I tried to check about this online and found that it could be kidney failure? I am very worried, what could be the root cause of this and what tests need to be done?

A:The presence of blood in the urine is called haematuria and it suggests bleeding somewhere in the genito-urinary tract (kidneys to the urethra). The bleeding is often intermittent and has many causes. These include: urinary tract infections, kidney disorders, prostatic hyperplasia, drugs, tumours, etc. As the conditions causing it are many, you need to consult a urologist who can examine you and then advise appropriate investigations so that correct treatment can be instituted