What is Uric Acid? Learn it's Symptoms and Treatment

High content of uric acid is obviously a serious issue these days. Hence people should have a control in their daily diet.

Uric acid is a chemical produced when your body breaks down food that contains organic compounds called purines.

Most uric acid is dissolved in the blood with a filtration process through the kidneys and expelled in the urine. Sometimes, the body produces too much uric acid or doesn't filter out enough of it.

High level of uric acid leads to the condition called gout. Another cause of hyperuricemia is the cause of cell death due to cancer or cancer treatments.

What is Gouty Arthritis?

Many individuals have a condition known as gout due to a presence of an excess level of uric acid circulating throughout the body.

Uric acid is produced by the body after the purines in many foods undergo the digestive process. After the breakdown process, it travels to the kidney via the blood stream. It is actually eliminated through the urinary tract via urination.

Here comes a serious condition when your body produces an excessive amount of uric acid or your kidneys are unable to filter all the uric acid produced after metabolism.

Factors Associated with High Uric Acid Level

• Drinking too much of alcohol
• Genetics (transferred to the offspring)
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Immune-suppressing drugs
• Niacin, or vitamin B-3
• Obesity
• Psoriasis
• Diuretic medications (water pills)
• Purine rich diet- liver, game meat, gravy, dried beans, anchovies, peas, and mushroom.
• Renal problems

High Uric Acid Symptoms

The increment in the level of uric acid in the blood goes undiagnosed as some people don't show any kind of symptoms. However, some people with high uric acid levels may experience symptoms due to the effects of the excessive uric acid on their bodies.

Here are some of the symptoms detected:

1. Gout

It occurs due to the excessive accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. It is characterized by extreme pain in the joints with inflammation of those regions.

Fever, peeling of skin in the affected joints are some other signs detected in the victim. Uric acid level exceeding 10mg/dL increases the risk of developing gout.

2. Kidney Stones

The accumulation of the excessive amount of uric acid results in the kidney stone. The condition remains unnoticed until the stone stuck in the ureter resulting in painful urination.

Some other effects observed in the condition are immense pain, frequent urination. bloody urine, nausea, and vomiting. Approximately 10% of kidney stone cases in the United States is composed of uric acid.

3. Kidney Failure

It is the most severe symptom detected in the patient of high uric level. It results in decreased urination, shortness of breath, swelling in the limbs, confusion, fatigue, chest pain, and drowsiness.

Kidney failure can develop in patients with leukemia. The cause can be the consequence of chemotherapy killing off malignant cells and releases uric acid along with inner contents.

High level of uric acid may lead a patient to hypertension and heart disease.

Treatments

If you are diagnosed with hyperuricemia your doctor will give you some advice to have a control in your diet or some medications contributing to the high level of uric acid or boosting up the rate of metabolism.

1. Drug Treatments

As the high acid level in blood result in the kidney failure, medications is the best treatment option. Medicines aid in blocking the body's ability to make or absorb uric acid or enhancing the body's ability to excrete uric acid.

For instance, the drug named Probenecid blocks the absorption of urates. On the other hand, the drugs Allopurinol, febuxostat E, and sulfinpyrazone block the production of uric acid enhancing its excretion.

2. Diet

High uric acid occurs as a result of consumption of food with high level of purines. Hence you need to avoid such food stuff rich in protein and alkaloids as well as fried food and dried sugar.

Hence, one should be very sensitive in selecting proper food stuff as our daily diet.

Home Remedies for High Uric Acid Level

It is essential to maintain good eating habits and have a proper living standard. Here are some of the home remedies adopting in daily life.

1. Water

Water is the universal solvent. It flushes out toxins including uric acid from the body. Have at least 10-12 glasses of water daily.

2. Cherries

Cherries contain anti-inflammatory substances named anthocyanins that aids in reducing the level of uric acid.

It prevents the uric acid from crystallization avoiding its deposition in joints. It also neutralizes the acids and helps prevent inflammation and pain. Consumption of cherries 200 gms per day is very effective in lowering the uric acid level in blood.

3. Berries

Strawberries and blueberries have some kind of anti-inflammatory agents hence it should be included in our diet.

4. Apple

Malic acid present in apple neutralizes uric acid providing relief to the victim.

5. Lime

Citric acid present in lime is a solvent of the uric acid. The lime water juice should be consumed twice a day.

6. Baking Soda

Baking soda is highly beneficial for lowering uric acid levels and reducing gout pain. It maintains the natural alkaline balance in the body and flushes out the acid from the kidney.

Mix one-half of baking soda in a glass of water. Drink the solution four times a day for two weeks.

Some other food items include celery seed, apple cider vinegar, pinto beans, foods rich in vitamin C, high-fibre foods, and green tea.

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