What is uric acid?
Uric acid is a chemical waste that results from purines, which are substances found in foods. A person’s body naturally produces uric acid. Too much uric acid in the body can cause various health problems, including gout.
What are the symptoms of high uric acid?
Uric acid is a chemical found in the body. Uric acid is produced when the body breaks down purines. Purines are found in animal products such as organ meats and some fish. High uric acid can cause gout, a type of arthritis. Symptoms of gout include sudden and severe joint pain, swelling, redness, and warmth. Gout can also cause kidney stones.
What causes high uric acid?
Uric acid is a chemical substance found in the body. It’s part of the body’s normal metabolic process that breaks down purines into uric acid, which is then excreted in the urine. One of the causes of high uric acid is having too much protein. Uric acid levels can rise when the body breaks protein down into amino acids, some of which are used to make uric acid.
Other medications used to lower uric acid levels include probenecid and colchicine. Probenecid works by increasing the excretion of uric acid in the urine, while colchicine works by reducing the amount of uric acid produced by the body.
Which foods are high in uric acid?
A diet for uric acid should avoid foods high in purines. These include organ meats, such as liver and kidney, gravy, anchovies, herring, sardines, and fish roe. Other high-purine foods include legumes, such as peas and beans, and yeast. Alcohol should also be avoided.
What happens if your uric acid is low?
If you have low uric acid levels, it may be a sign of kidney problems. It can also be a side effect of taking certain medications, such as diuretics. Low uric acid levels can also lead to gout, a type of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, and redness in the joints.
How to measure uric acid and its normal range?
Uric acid can be measured through a blood test. The normal range for uric acid is 3.4-7.0 mg/dL.
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