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High uric acid level causes and symptoms

Last updated on : 12 Sep, 2024

Read time : 7 min

Define uric acid

Uric acid is a chemical that forms when the body breaks down substances called purines. The body makes purines, and it can also obtain them from foods and drinks. Uric acid dissolve in the blood moves through the kidney, and eliminate from the body as urine. The high uric acid level occurs due to purine-rich drinks and foods.

What about a high uric aid level?

Blood contains uric acid, which is a waste product. Uric acid levels increase by foods and drinks that are high in purines. It includes:

  • Fish and other seafood (especially salmon, shrimp, lobster and sardines)
  • Red meat
  • meats like liver
  • Alcohol and foods and drinks with high fructose corn syrup (especially beer, including non-alcoholic beer)

Hyperuricemia is a condition that occurs when the body has a high uric acid level. Crystals of uric acid (or urate) can form in people with hyperuricemia. These crystals can build up in the joints and cause gout, a painful form of arthritis. It is stuck in the kidneys and causes stones to produce there.

Symptoms that form due to high uric acid level

Even though hyperuricemia is not a disease. If uric acid levels remain high, they can cause several diseases over time.

1. Gout

People with hyperuricemia are also called acute gout arthritis. It can also happen when the level of uric acid drops quickly. Some people have chronic gout, which means they have a lot of attacks in a short amount of time.

Gout can happen in any joint, but bursts usually start in the big toe. It shows up on the feet, ankles, knees, and elbows.

Symptoms of gout:

  • Intense pain joints
  • Affected joints are stiff and hard to move.
  • Inflammation and redness

2. Kidney stones

Crystals of uric acid can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Usually, the stones are small and get rid of themselves in your urine. Or sometimes, they can get too big to pass and restrict parts of your urinary tract.

Symptoms of kidney stones:

  • Pain or aches in your lower back, side, or abdomen.
  • Enhanced to pee
  • Hurts to urinate
  • Having trouble peeing
  • Blood in your pee
  • Foul-smelling urine

High uric acid causes 

Among the things that cause uric acid disease, here listed the following:

1. Diuretics 

It’s called “water pills,” and doctors use them to treat high blood pressure.

2. Drinking too much alcohol

The kidneys get rid of waste from the metabolism of alcohol before they get rid of uric acid. This causes uric acid to stay in the body.

3. Purine-rich Diet

High levels of uric acid in the blood are due to eating a lot of meat, beans, peas, mushrooms, seafood, etc., which are all high in purines. When these foods break down, uric acid builds up in the body.

4. Hypothyroidism

This is a condition in which the thyroid glands might not work as well as they should. In this condition, the plasma flow to the kidneys may be reduced, and the kidneys may not be able to filter as well. This can make uric acid levels go up. You can follow a hypothyroidism diet to improve your thyroid hormones.

5. Obesity

If a high uric acid level occurs there is a chance to cause of obesity.

Diagnosis for high uric acid level

Doctors usually diagnose based on your symptoms and the appearance of the affected joint. The tests for high uric acid levels are included:

1. Joint fluid test:

The doctor uses a needle to remove fluid from the joint that affects. When the fluid is looked at through a microscope, urate crystals may be visible.

2. Sample of blood:

The doctor might tell you to have a blood test to determine how much uric acid is in your blood. Blood test results can show how much uric acid is in their bodies.

3. X-ray test:

X-rays of the joints can help doctors to know what causes joint inflammation.

4. Double-energy computerized tomography (DECT).

This test looks for urate crystals in joints by putting them around each other X-ray pictures were taken from many different angles.

High uric acid level treatment

How to treat high uric acid levels will depend on what’s causing it. If you have hyperuricemia but don’t have any symptoms, you probably don’t need treatment. 

If your hyperuricemia is linked to an underlying condition, then it will need to be treated such as:

1. Gout

Gout can be treated with the following medications prescribed by the doctor:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help stop gout from happening less painful. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn). If NSAIDs don’t work well, use colchicine to prevent or treat gout.

Probenecid is used to prevent gout attacks because this lowers your level of uric acid and increased urination. Allopurinol (Zyloprim) and febuxostat (Uloric) lower the amount of uric acid in your blood, which helps prevent gout.

The above-all gout medication you can take under your doctor’s consultation only.

2. Kidney stone

If you have kidney stones that are smaller than 5 millimetres (mm), then the doctor may tell you to drink a lot of water and take over-the-counter painkillers until the stones cross.

If a kidney stone is 5 mm or bigger, it is less likely to pass on itself. So, doctors give you prescription painkillers like tamsulosin (Flomax) to relax the muscles in your urinary tract. This can make passing stones easier and less painful.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a noninvasive procedure. Where ultrasonic energy or shock waves gave through your skin to the kidney stone. The shock waves break the large stone into smaller pieces that can move more easily through your urinary system. If the stones are larger than 10 mm, you might need surgery to get rid of them.

In ureteroscopic surgery, a 2 mm scope is put through your urethra. It goes through your bladder and right into your ureters, which are the tubes that connect your kidneys to your bladder. Then, the doctor can remove the stone. If the stones need to be broken up first, treatments may be used to help the urine flow. This can help relieve pain and keep the ureters open so that broken up or dissolving stones can pass more easily.

3. Diet for the high uric acid level

You can lower the amount of uric acid in your blood by trying to make some changes to your diet. If your hyperuricemia is due to gout, then making the changes to your diet might lower your risk of having an attack and slow the damage to your joints.

Uric acid forms in the body when purines break down and it gets it from some foods. It might be best to stay away from these foods like:

  • Red meat
  • Foods and drinks with a lot of sugar, especially if they have high-fructose corn syrup
  • Liver and other organ meats
  • Fish and seafood
  • Spinach, green peas, and mushrooms
  • Legumes and beans
  • Oatmeal
  • Wheat germ and bran
  • Beer and alcohol
  • Supplements of yeast

You should also drink more fluids, especially water, and eliminate unnecessary purines. A general rule of thumb is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of liquid every day, you can also prevent any other health-related problems.

To maintain the uric acid level try some of the home remedies for high uric levels.

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Our healthcare experts have carefully reviewed and compiled the information presented here to ensure accuracy and trustworthiness. It is important to note that this information serves as a general overview of the topic and is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or cure any health problem. This page does not establish a doctor-patient relationship, nor does it replace the advice or consultation of a registered medical practitioner. We recommend seeking guidance from your registered medical practitioner for any questions or concerns regarding your medical condition.

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