Uric acid is mainly a waste product produced in the human body that is cleared by the kidneys through urine. Elevated uric acid may occur when the kidneys cannot properly eliminate that uric acid.
This ailment may happen to people who take foods with a good amount of uric acid or are overweight, consume too much alcohol, take specific medicines or even have diabetes. To determine the uric acid level in your body, you should go through a uric acid test.
High uric acid in blood or hyperuricemia can lead to other ailments, including a specific type of arthritis known as gout. Sometimes this ailment is also related to other ailments like diabetes, and heart and kidney issues.
Sometimes a person suffering from hyperuricemia may not experience a system.
However, symptoms may occur in people with long-standing spikes of uric acid in the blood or serious health issues.
What is uric acid?
Uric acid is a specific chemical produced by the body when purines are broken down. These purines are mainly chemical substances that can be found in various foods and drinks. Some purine-rich foods are anchovies, liver, dry beans, mackerel, beer, and peas.
The body creates purines because those are present in the DNA of the body cells; thus, when those cells are damaged or die, the uric acid becomes a waste product. The normal levels of uric acid include.
Men: 3.4 to 7.0 mg/dL
Women: 2.4 to 6.0 mg/dL
Symptoms of hyperuricemia or high uric acid in the blood
Almost one-third of people usually experience symptoms of hyperuricemia. Those who do not experience any symptoms suffer from asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Elevated levels of uric acid can result in several other issues over time.
Tophaceous gout
If someone has elevated uric acid levels for several years, the uric acid crystals can create clumps, known as tophi. Those hard lumps can be found under the skin, in the curve at the top of the year, and around your joints. These tophi can worsen the pain in the joints and even damage the joints over time.
Gout
Gout can happen in people who have hyperuricemia. This can occur as isolated attacks. Some even experience chronic gout, including several gout attacks within a short time.
This gout or gouty arthritis can affect any joint of the body. However, flares often appear first in the large toe. Some other places of gout attacks are the ankles, feet, elbow, and knees. Some symptoms of hyperuricemia are:
● Intense joint pain.
● Soreness, redness, and swelling of joints.
● Changes in urine like unusual smell or cloudiness.
● Kidney stones formation with symptoms like increased urination, back pain,
nausea, etc.
Causes of hyperuricemia
Several risk factors or causes of hyperuricemia are:
● Lead exposure
● Kidney issues
● Alcohol use
● Pesticide exposure
● Some medications like medications for heart issues
● High blood pressure
● Obesity
● Acidosis
● Purine-rich diet
● Genetics
● Diabetes, etc.
Uric acid test
If you experience any symptoms mentioned above, your doctor may suggest a blood test to determine the uric acid level in your blood.
Uric acid test:
● Blood test
In this, a healthcare professional will take your blood as a sample and then conduct a uric acid test to determine the level of uric acid in your blood.
● Urine test
This is another way to test hyperuricemia. This is a 24-hour sample test, where your blood uric acid level is determined by testing the urine.
Therefore, whenever you feel like you are experiencing the symptoms mentioned
above, you should request a uric acid test after knowing the uric acid test price.
Author: Kiara Mac