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PhrasesDescribing SymptomsHo sangue nelle urine.
B1

Ho sangue nelle urine.

I have blood in my urine.

Pronunciation

u-RI-ne — three syllables, stress on second. 'Sangue' — SAN-gwe.

When to use it

Report blood in urine (haematuria) to a doctor urgently. It is always a symptom that requires investigation, even if painless.

What it means

'Sangue nelle urine' = blood in urine ('ematuria' in medical Italian). 'Urine rosse o rosate' = red or pink urine. 'Ematuria macroscopica' = visible blood. 'Ematuria microscopica' = blood only detectable by urine test. Causes: UTI, kidney stones, bladder cancer (painless haematuria), kidney disease. Always needs medical investigation.

Variations

Le urine sono di colore rosso.

The urine is red in colour.

Macroscopic haematuria — describe the colour accurately

Ho dolore al fianco e sangue nelle urine.

I have flank pain and blood in my urine.

Flank pain + haematuria = kidney stone until proven otherwise

Il medico ha trovato sangue nelle urine all'esame. Non avevo dolori.

The doctor found blood in my urine on testing. I had no pain.

Microscopic haematuria without symptoms — still needs full investigation

Mini Dialogue

— Ho sangue nelle urine da ieri. Le urine sono di colore rosato. — Ha dolore? — Un po' di bruciore quando urino. — E dolore al fianco? — No. — Potrebbe essere un'infezione urinaria o un calcolo. Le chiedo un esame delle urine urgente. — Devo preoccuparmi? — Lo valutiamo dopo il risultato. Non lasciamo nulla senza controllo.

— I have had blood in my urine since yesterday. The urine is pinkish in colour. — Do you have pain? — A bit of burning when I urinate. — And flank pain? — No. — It could be a urinary infection or a stone. I will request an urgent urine test. — Should I be worried? — We will evaluate after the result. We will not leave anything unchecked.

Cultural Note

Urine tests ('esame delle urine') are among the most commonly performed investigations in Italian medicine. Italian laboratories provide rapid results (usually 1-2 hours). UTIs ('infezioni delle vie urinarie') are very common in Italian women — Italian GPs prescribe 'fosfomicina' (fosfomycin) as first-line treatment. Kidney stones ('calcoli renali') have high prevalence in southern Italy, likely due to dehydration and diet. Bladder cancer screening with urine cytology is recommended for smokers over 50.