What is Uric Acid Height?

High uric acid level is a disease that is observed more and more in the society. The high uric acid level, which occurs due to various reasons, causes problems especially in the kidneys and joints.

What is Uric Acid?

Uric acid is a product formed by the breakdown of molecules containing purine structure in consumed foods. . Excess uric acid is formed as a result of consuming and digesting foods rich in purines.
High uric acid in the blood is also called hyperuricemia. As a result of the tests made with the sample taken from the blood, the normal value of uric acid; 1.5-6 mg/dl in women and 2.5-7 mg/dl in men. Results above these values are defined as hyperuricemia. Low uric acid is not a common condition. Uric acid is a molecule with antioxidant properties. Therefore, an increase in oxidative stress, which can lead to the formation of chronic diseases, can be observed in its low level.

Conditions such as feeding with purine-rich foods cause an increase in the level of uric acid in the blood.

In addition to these, as a result of a problem in the kidneys, the kidney's inability to filter and remove excess uric acid from the blood leads to an increase in uric acid levels.

What are Uric Acid Crystals?

Increased uric acid level in the blood leads to crystal formation. Formed uric acid crystals can be seen in the whole body, especially in the kidneys and joints.
The body's immune system creates an inflammatory response to destroy the uric acid crystals. The inflammatory response also causes symptoms such as redness and pain in the area where it is effective. A condition without symptoms is called asymptomatic hyperuricemia. A high level of uric acid in the blood is not considered a disease by itself. However, high uric acid levels can cause certain diseases in the body over time.

What are the Diseases with High Uric Acid?

Gout Disease:

Gout or gouty arthritis is a disease seen in approximately 20% of people with hyperuricemia.

Big toe,
Ankle,
Wrist,
Knee joint,
Elbow joint mainly It can affect any joint in the body.

In the affected joint;

Swelling,
Redness,
Severe pain is seen.
In addition, symptoms such as joint stiffness and inability to move the joint are common conditions in gout.

Gout is a disease that progresses with attacks of exacerbation. Pain may begin with a sudden attack at a time when no symptoms are seen. Gout attacks usually begin at night, reach their peak after about 12 hours, and then subside. However, if gout is not treated, attacks can become more frequent and progress to a condition called chronic gout. Uric acid crystals;

In the joints,
In the ear,
They form a tophi structure by accumulating and clustering under the skin. The tophi structure, which can be seen even from the outside as this swelling, can cause nerve damage by pressing on the surrounding nerves.

Kidney Stones:

Uric acid crystals can come together in the kidney and cause stone formation. These stones, which are usually formed, are very small and are excreted in the urine without causing any symptoms. However, in some cases, the stone may grow and cause obstruction in the urinary tract.

Kidney stones;

Vomiting,
Pain in the kidney bed,
Urinary urgency,
Pain while urinating,
Difficulty while urinating ,
May cause symptoms such as blood in the urine.
In cases where kidney stones cause urinary tract infections, fever and chills may also be seen in addition to these symptoms.

Why Is Uric Acid Elevated?

Elevated uric acid is basically a condition that occurs due to excess uric acid formation or insufficient removal of uric acid from the body. The most common cause of elevation is due to a decrease in the kidney's capacity to filter uric acid from the blood. With this; increased uric acid formation Consuming Iranian foods, being overweight, and consuming large amounts of alcohol also cause high uric acid levels. Conditions that increase the level of uric acid in the blood:

Kidney failure,
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland),
Obesity,
Psoriasis,
Diuretic drug use,
Immune system suppressive drug use,
Niacin (vitamin B3),
Genetic factors,
Purine-rich diet
Can be listed as tumor lysis syndrome (the picture that develops due to the sudden destruction of tumor cells after chemotherapy in cancer treatment).

How is the Diagnosis and Treatment of Elevated Uric Acid?

The methods frequently used in the diagnosis of elevated uric acid are blood and urine tests.

Uric acid level in the blood and kidney functions can be determined with a blood test.
Uric acid levels excreted in the urine are also checked with a urine test or 24-hour urine collection. The urine test is repeated as a result of a purine-restricted diet. This test; It helps to understand whether the uric acid elevation is due to the consumption of purine-rich food or the body's inability to remove uric acid sufficiently.
In patients with gout symptoms, the presence of uric acid crystals is investigated by taking samples from the joint fluid. Presence of uric acid crystals in the joint fluid is very important in diagnosing gout.

How to Treat High Uric Acid?

High uric acid level does not need to be treated in asymptomatic patients who do not show symptoms.
If uric acid elevation develops due to another underlying disease, this disease should be treated first.
In the treatment of gout caused by hyperuricemia, treatment is applied to reduce symptoms.
In addition, drugs that reduce the formation of uric acid in the blood and accelerate the excretion of uric acid from the body by increasing urine output are also used in the treatment of gout.
Treatment of kidney stones, another disease caused by uric acid elevation It varies according to the size of the stone. It will not cause obstruction in the urinary tract, it can be easily removed with urine. It is recommended to drink plenty of water for stones that can be thrown.
Painkillers are used for pain that may occur during stone removal.
In cases where the stone is too large to pass through the urinary tract, options such as stone crushing and surgical removal of the stone may come up.
In cases where the kidney stone causes urinary tract infection, antipyretic and antibiotic drugs can be used for treatment. .

How to Lower Uric Acid?

Dietary changes may be beneficial in lowering high uric acid levels in the blood. If hyperuicemia has caused gout, changes in diet can help reduce gout attacks. Dietary changes should be made in consultation with a doctor. In people with high uric acid level, these changes are helpful rather than a primary treatment method. Purine-rich foods should be avoided as much as possible while preparing a high uric acid diet list. These foods are:

Red meat, liver,
Fish and shellfish,
Cauliflower,
Peas,
Dried legumes,
Mushrooms can be listed as.

It will be beneficial to avoid sugary foods and drinks as well as purine-rich foods. Increasing fluid consumption plays an important role in protecting kidney health and increasing urine output. Thus, sufficient removal of uric acid from the body is ensured. As a result of excessive alcohol consumption, toxic substances due to alcohol breakdown accumulate in the blood. The kidney tries to remove these toxic substances from the blood by filtering them. While the kidney is performing this function, the filtration of uric acid from the blood is interrupted and the uric acid level in the blood rises. Therefore, chronic alcohol consumption causes hyperuricemia. It is recommended that people with high uric acid limit their alcohol consumption. Obesity is a risk factor for hyperuricemia. Therefore, people with high uric acid levels are recommended to lose weight if they are above their ideal weight. You can use the contact form on our website to reach us.

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