Do you do blood test regularly ? One of the part that being diagnosis is uric acid. Do you know what is the uric acid?
A uric acid blood test detemines how much uric acid is present in your blood. The test can help determine how well your body produces and remove uric acid.
Uric acid is a chemical produced when your body breaks down foods that contain organic compounds called purines. Foods and beverages with a high purine content include :
– liver
– anchovies
– mackerel
– dried beans
– beer
– wine
A blood sample is needed to performed the test. Most of the time blood is drawn from a vein located on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. To prepare for the test you should not eat or drink anything for 4 HOURS before the test unless told otherwise.
Many medicines can interfere with blood test results.
Your health care provider will tell you if you need to stop taking any medicines before you have this test.
DO NOT stop or change your medicines without talking to your provider first.
Your provider may also tell you to stop taking any drugs that may affect the test results. Never stop taking any medicine without talking to your provider.
This test is done to see if you have high levels of uric acid in your blood. High levels of uric acid can sometimes cause gout or kidney disease.
Normal values range between 3.5 and 7.2 mg/dL.
- Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.
Greater-than-normal levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia) may be due to: - Acidosis
- Alcoholism
- Chemotherapy-related side effects
- Diabetes (Infographic : Diabetes You Are at Risk )
- Excessive exercise
- Gout (What we must know about Gout )
- Hypoparathyroidism
- Lead poisoning
- Leukemia
- Medullary cystic kidney disease
- Nephrolithiasis
- Polycythemia vera
- Purine-rich diet
- Renal failure
- Toxemia of pregnancy
Lower-than-normal levels of uric acid may be due to:
- Fanconi syndrome
- Low purine diet
- Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) secretion
- Wilson disease
Other reasons this test may be performed include:
- Chronic gouty arthritis
- Chronic kidney disease
- Injury of the kidney and ureter
How to control acid uric level ? Read this
To gain control of uric acid levels, avoid eating foods high in purine, the chemical responsible for forming uric acid in the system. Red meat, seafood, organ meats and some beans are all high in purines. Refined carbohydrates and vegetables such as asparagus, peas, mushrooms and cauliflower, should also be avoided.
Limit your soda consumption. In an article on the Arthritis Today website, researchers found men who drank more than six servings of high fructose soft drinks each week, increased the occurrence of gout. Although diet soda is not implicated, fruit juices and other sugary drinks are.
Because alcohol dehydrates the body, it is advisable to limit consumption, particularly when consumed with foods high in purine. Although consumption of wine doesn’t seem to affect uric acid levels, the high yeast content of beer makes it particularly suspect. Beer drinkers are advised to limit intake or eliminate it from the diet altogether.
To reduce uric acid concentration, the University of Maryland Medical Center advises adding cherries, blueberries and strawberries to your diet. Bromelain, found in pineapple, is a digestive enzyme with anti-inflammatory properties that inhibits the proteins responsible for inflammation. Celery, a natural diuretic, helps alkalize your blood and decrease inflammation. Try a thimble full of seeds each day or take it in supplement form.
When combined with a diet high in purines, extra body weight is related to high uric acid levels, but rapid weight loss is also a factor. If you are overweight, it is best to avoid crash dieting. Develop a gradual weight-loss program to prevent an increase in uric acid levels.
Keep your body hydrated. Although the body easily adapts to low water intake, optimum hydration is necessary to eliminate uric acid from your system. Water dilutes uric acid levels in the blood, and stimulates the kidneys to pass on waste products to the bladder. Recommendations vary, but a good rule of thumb is to divide your body weight by two, to determine the number of ounces appropriate for daily intake.
According to Medline Plus, high acid levels in the blood, called acidosis, is associated with the body’s uric acid level. A pH level less than 7 is considered to be acidic. To keep your body alkaline, add apples, apple cider vinegar, tart cherry juice, baking soda and lemons to your diet.
References :-HealthLine
MedlinePlus
LiveStrong
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