Uric acid plays a vital role in your body’s natural processes. However, when levels of uric acid become too high, you can experience unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects, including pain in the joints and around the eyes, skin rashes, and inflammation of the gums, among others.
While the symptoms of hyperuricemia and gout are generally preventable through diet, lifestyle choices, and medication, it’s important to understand how uric acid affects your body on both a short-term and long-term basis so that you can prepare accordingly and prevent attacks before they happen.
What is Uric Acid?
Uric acid is a natural byproduct of your body breaking down purines, which are found in all cells. This breakdown process can generate free radicals, which break down healthy cells.
Uric acid acts as an antioxidant to counter-act these free radicals, preventing them from damaging other cells in your body. However, if you have too much uric acid in your blood, it becomes more difficult for your body to deal with these free radicals.
Some people develop gout because their kidneys aren’t working properly and are unable to excrete excess uric acid from their bodies; others develop gout when they create too much uric acid in their bodies through diet or medication.
Gout, the most common form of arthritic disorder-
Gout is an arthritic disorder that’s characterized by sudden, sharp attacks of pain, redness, warmth, tenderness, and swelling in joints such as your big toe. When caused by uric acid crystals (known as monosodium urate or MSU crystals), gout results from a build-up of these substances in your body.
It can be treated successfully with medications and lifestyle changes—there are also some natural remedies for gout if pharmaceutical drugs aren’t right for you.
Uric acid is mainly known for causing gout, but what about its other negative effects on your health? And does controlling uric acid level help lower your risk of developing gout symptoms? Let’s explore more!
Know your risk factors for high uric acid
Uric acid, a compound found in human blood, isn’t necessarily bad for your health. In fact, most people will have some amount of uric acid circulating through their bloodstream.
However, some people have higher levels of uric acid than others. If your body has a genetic predisposition to high levels of uric acid or if there are other factors at play (such as diet), then these high levels can lead to complications such as gout.
If you have one or more risk factors—or think that they may apply to you—it may be time to take action. The first step is knowing what those risk factors are.
Watch what you Eat to maintain uric acid levels
Certain foods can significantly affect your uric acid levels. Studies have shown that cutting out processed meats, like bacon and sausage, can significantly reduce uric acid levels in just 10 days.
Beer contains a large amount of purines, which increase uric acid production when consumed in excess; wine also has purines but they are mostly broken down during fermentation, so most people don’t have an issue with wine consumption.
Purine-rich vegetables include asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, peas and beans. If you suffer from high uric acid levels regularly, see if avoiding these foods helps to lower them. But note that certain diseases, such as gout or kidney disease, may require more extreme dietary changes to decrease uric acid levels long term.
If you experience gout attacks frequently—two or more per month—consider talking to your doctor about additional lifestyle changes and medications (such as allopurinol) that could help lower your body’s production of uric acid over time.
Stay Hydrated
The body needs water to function properly, so when your body feels like it’s running on low, chances are that you need a glass of water. Keep a bottle of water at your desk or in your bag (take one with you everywhere—we promise we won’t judge) to stay hydrated throughout the day.
By staying well-hydrated, you will be less likely to experience fatigue, feel hunger pangs or experience headaches. Sipping some water before meals can help with digestion too.
Keeping your body optimally hydrated helps combat all these symptoms. Be sure to drink enough for proper urination; if you find yourself going more than once within an hour, try upping your daily intake of H2O.
That doesn’t mean chugging half a gallon each sitting—it just means drinking enough fluid to keep you from needing to run back every 15 minutes.
Choose Your Medications Wisely
Medicine alone cannot cure gout, but there are several medications on offer that can help. Physicians commonly recommend patients with gout to take medication only when needed. The most common drugs for uric acid include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine, corticosteroids, and xanthine oxidase inhibitors. However, taking too many of these medications increases your risk of a variety of health issues, including ulcers and heart disease. It’s important to choose your medications wisely by working closely with your doctor. For example, if you have high blood pressure or diabetes along with gouty arthritis pain, then taking an NSAID like ibuprofen may be unsafe for you as well as another medication prescribed to treat another condition.
Discuss Your Concerns With Your Physician
If your uric acid levels are high, discuss your concerns with your physician. While elevated uric acid may be harmful to your health in excess, it can also cause other problems if you’re deficient in uric acid. It’s best to talk things over with a medical professional before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise regimen. Also, keep an eye out for further studies on uric acid; more research is bound to be coming soon.