What is hyperuricemia? Learn the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Through uric acid index, doctors can partly assess your current health situation. So what is hyperuricemia ? Our article will answer this question and help you better understand the cause, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hyperuricemia.

What is hyperuricemia?

What is uric acid?

Uric acid (or uric acid) is a heterocyclic compound with the chemical formula C5H4N4O3. In the body, uric acid is caused by the degeneration of purines, then dissolved into the blood to be carried to the kidneys and then excreted through the urine. Based on the level of uric acid in the blood, doctors can tell if the patient has gout or not, if there are problems, at what stage and how dangerous.

How much is uric acid?

1. The level of uric acid in the blood is at a good level, avoiding the risk of gout.
2. From 6 - 7 mg / dl: The uric acid level is at the warning level. People with blood uric acid levels within this range may experience numbness, itching, redness or some signs of gout.
3. > 7 mg / dl: Alarm levels of uric acid, urate crystals are forming more and more, settling around joints and forming tophi clumps. In this case, if there is no timely treatment, the disease will get worse and worse, the patient will face many dangerous complications.

What is high uric acid?

High levels of uric acid or uric acid may be a sign of some of the following conditions:

1. Gout: High uric acid index with uric acid deposition and joint damage or other organizations are signs that you have gout. However, only relying on uric acid status in the blood can not confirm whether the patient has gout or not. In other words, not everyone who has hyperuricemia also has gout.
2. Kidney disease: Kidney function to remove uric acid from the body. In the case of impaired kidney function due to some diseases will impair the ability to excrete uric acid, causing high blood uric acid index.
3. Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, .

High uric acid may be a sign of gout

Causes of hyperuricemia

There are many causes of hyperuricemia, such as:

1. The decline in the ability to excrete uric acid in the renal tubules is multifactorial , especially when eating a lot of purine-rich foods, alcohol research. This causes about 90% of cases of hyperuricemia.
2. Congenital hyperuricemia (primary) : This type accounts for less than 1%, due to enzyme abnormalities such as complete deficiency or part of the enzyme HGPRT or increased PRPP activity.
3. Secondary hyperuricemia : Occupies nearly 10%, due to the use of purine-rich foods (such as red meat), heavy drinking of alcohol; due to increased cell destruction (encountered in multiple myeloma, leukemia, hemolytic anemia, using cancer treatment, psoriasis); reduce uric acid excretion in the kidneys (due to alcoholism, hypertension, chronic kidney failure, ketoacidosis, lactic acidosis, use of some drugs such as low-dose aspirin, low-dose phenylbutazone, diuretics, .) .

Eat plenty of purine-rich foods that increase uric acid in the blood

Diagnosis and treatment of hyperuricemia

Diagnosis of hyperuricemia in the blood

The patient will perform blood and urine tests to measure creatine levels, determine kidney function and uric acid levels in the body. If you see high levels of uric acid in your blood, your doctor may order a 24-hour urine sample. Urine testing will be repeated after a patient has a purine-restricted diet to determine if uric acid status is caused by:

1. Eat too many purine-rich foods
2. The body is producing too much uric acid
3. The body does not emit uric acid

If you see a patient with symptoms of gout, your doctor will test the fluid in your joint to see if there is uric acid crystals.

Diagnosis of hyperuricemia through blood and urine tests

Treatment for reducing uric acid

According to health experts, the treatment to reduce uric acid depends on the cause of the increase in uric acid.

1. In the case of hyperuricemia, the patient does not have any symptoms, there is no need for treatment for not much benefit, but the patient has to spend a lot of money and may face many complications due to side effects of the drug. . However, patients need to implement a diet, scientific activities to avoid high levels of uric acid in the blood.
2. For cases of frequent increase in uric acid over 10 mg / dl and resistance to dietary measures, or a history of gout, kidney stones, signs of kidney damage, drugs should be used. works to reduce uric acid, build healthy menu, .
3. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and activity, you also need to regularly monitor uric acid levels in the blood to detect them early and take timely measures to avoid further progression. .

Treatment of hyperuricemia depends on the cause

Not only gout, hyperuricemia can be a sign of many other dangerous diseases. Hope our article will help you. Contact META.vn for advice if you have a need to buy a quality, low cost uric acid meter.

>>> More references:

1. Distinguish from acute, chronic gout and gout disease
2. List of good fruits and vegetables for gout patients
3. Experience in controlling gout is effective during treatment