Having blood in urine is referred to as hematuria, and it could mean a host of things. For one, if you have received radiation treatments at any time in the past, especially for prostate cancer, or other cancers where the pelvis is targeted for radiation therapy, you could be experiencing radiation tissue damage. 

Yes. You should see a doctor right away if you are peeing blood. Even if you are not in any pain and the amount of blood is minimal, hematuria indicates that there is an issue. While the causes could be harmless, they could also be very problematic, including kidney disease and cancer, to name a few.

Although radiation technology and techniques have improved drastically over the years, radiation treatment targeted to the pelvis, as is the case for prostate cancer, occasionally causes inflammation and damage to the bladder wall. Because of the position of the bladder next to the prostate and rectum, it is impossible to completely spare the bladder from radiation doses.  When there is inflammation or damage to the bladder wall, it may result in hematuria, pain, frequency and urgency.

Yes. Many injuries resulting from radiation treatments, including hematuria, do not appear for months, and in some instances, years after radiation treatments. That is the reason many physicians fail to connect the dots between long-ago radiation treatments and symptoms a patient is experiencing.

Patients are advised to seek immediate medical attention if they see blood in their urine. If a patient’s hematuria, or blood in the urine, is caused by radiation tissue damage, it is unlikely that the hematuria will subside on its own. Instead, the patient’s hematuria is likely to intensify. Since HBOT is anti-inflammatory, mobilizes stem cells, and causes the creation of new blood vessels (thereby bringing more blood and circulation to the injured area), it is the best treatment to help heal the damage to the bladder wall as a result of radiation treatment. 

Yes. Hematuria induced by radiation damage is covered by insurance and government payers, like Medicare, so long as the symptoms occur or persist for at least six months after receiving radiation treatments.

If your hematuria is caused by radiation treatments, HBOT may be able to resolve your hematuria right away with a course of 20-40 HBOT sessions. However, commercial insurance and government payers, like Medicare, will generally not cover radiation tissue damage until symptoms (including hematuria) occur or persist for six months after radiation treatment. Nevertheless, even if you experience hematuria from radiation treatment before the six-month marker, it is still imperative if you see blood in your urine to immediately seek medical attention. 

No. HBOT is a natural and generally painless procedure, where a patient simply lies back, relaxes and breathes – the hyperbaric chamber does the rest!  Occasionally a patient will experience some pressure in his or her ears, similar to the sensation of being on an airplane. An HMS technician or medical provider, who is always monitoring the chamber, is available to coach patients on clearing their ears.