Final answer:
Blood at the beginning of urination often indicates bleeding from the lower urinary tract, usually the urethra, whereas continued blood throughout the urination process can indicate bleeding from the bladder or kidneys. A urinalysis is essential for diagnosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blood at the beginning of urination, typically referred to as initial hematuria, can be indicative of a bleeding source in the urethra or lower urinary tract. Contrastingly, if blood is present throughout the entire urination process, not just at the beginning or the end, this could point to a bleeding issue within the bladder or the kidneys. A urinalysis is a tool commonly used to diagnose renal disease and can detect not only red blood cells but also white blood cells, proteins, and other abnormal substances in the urine. The presence of red blood cells in the urine should be investigated further as it can signal conditions such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, or other more serious conditions such as cancer in the urinary system. Such findings underscore the intricate relationship between the characteristics of urine and the health of the urinary system.