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Painful Joints? All You Need to Know About Uric Acid and How it Affects Your Body

Uric acid is present in our blood, but if its levels either goes up or too low than what is manageable then it can cause several health problems. Find out what are the symptoms of high and low levels of uric acid in the body and how can it be treated.

Authored by: Abhijeet Christopher Loreng

Updated Jun 13, 2023 | 04:33 PM IST

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How does the imbalance of Uric acid in the body affects your health

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Uric acid is a waste product found in the blood. It is created when the body breaks down chemicals called purines. Most uric acid dissolves in the blood, passes through the kidneys and leaves the body when one passes urine. Food and drinks high in purines also increase the level of uric acid. These include:

Seafood (especially salmon, shrimp, lobster and sardines).

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Red meat.

Organ meats like liver.

Excessive intake of alcohol (especially beer, including non-alcohol beer)

Obesity

Taking a diet rich in Purine such as mushrooms, liver, sardines, gravy, and other foods

Inherited from genes

Diuretics

Psoriasis

Drugs that suppress the immunity

Vitamin B-3 or Niacin

Food and drinks with high fructose corn syrup

If too much uric acid stays in the body, it creats a condition called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia can cause crystals of uric acid (or urate) to form. These crystals can settle in the joints and cause gout, a form of arthritis that can become very painful over time. They can also settle in the kidneys and lead to the formation of kidney stones.

If left untreated, high level of uric acid will eventually lead to permanent bone, joint and tissue damage, kidney disease and heart disease. Research has also shown a link between high uric acid levels and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease.

Having some uric acid in the blood is normal. However, if uric acid levels go above or below a healthy range, this can result in health problems. High uric acid levels can increase the risk of gout.

Gout is a form of arthritis. The symptoms come and go, usually affecting just one joint.

People with this condition, experience buildup up of uric acid in the joints and tissues, causing pain, swelling, and discoloration. Gout most commonly affects the toe joints, ankles, and knees.

How uric acid builds up in the body

Purines are chemical substances that occur naturally in the body and in some foods. When the body breaks down purines, this creates uric acid as a waste product. The kidneys filter it from the blood and pass it out of the body in the urine.

Fanconi syndrome

On the other hand, having low uric acid levels is very rare. The most prevalent medical condition causing low uric acid levels is Fanconi syndrome, a rare kidney disease. In people with this condition, the kidneys cannot absorb certain nutrients into the body.

Fanconi syndrome can cause a lack of energy, dehydration, and problems with the bones. A person with this condition will have low uric acid levels because too much of this substance is passing out of the body in the urine.

Symptoms of high and low levels

A person with high or low uric acid levels may not always have symptoms. Symptoms may not appear until a person has had levels outside the normal range for a long period, which can cause health problems.

Symptoms of gout, which high uric acid levels can cause, include:

Painful or swollen joints

joints that feel warm to the touch

shiny, discolored skin around the joints

Stiffness

Swelling and redness around joints

Blood in urine

Difficulty in passing urine

Frequent urinary tract infection (UTF)

Symptoms of a kidney stone, which high uric acid levels can also cause, include:

Back pain

pain in the side

Frequent urination

Urine that is cloudy, smells unusual, or contains blood

Nausea and vomiting

Low uric acid levels are less common than high ones. A person with low uric acid levels may urinate more than usual, which can cause dehydration if they are not drinking enough water.

People can take certain simple steps to prevent gout flares including:

avoiding alcohol

reaching or maintaining a moderate weight

protecting the joints with gentle, low-impact exercise, such as walking, cycling, and swimming

A person who has gout usually needs a uric acid test every 6 months.

Keeping uric acid levels within a certain range can reduce pain, joint damage, and complications from gout.

How can high uric acid level be managed and prevented?

A long-term program of disease management can help regulate and even stop high uric acid levels and joint pain flare-ups. Your provider can prescribe medications that dissolve the deposits of uric acid crystals. A lifelong urate-lowering therapy may be needed, with medications that prevent gout flares and ultimately dissolve crystals that are already in your body.

Other ways to help manage high uric acid levels include:

Losing weight, if necessary.

Watching what you eat (limit your intake of fructose corn syrup, organ meats, red meat, fish, and beverages containing alcohol).

If you’re having a gout attack, medication can be used to reduce the inflammation, pain and swelling. You should drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol and sweet soft drinks. Ice and elevation are helpful.

Kidney stones may eventually pass out of the body in urine. Drinking more fluid is important. Try to drink at least 64 ounces daily (8 glasses at eight ounces each). Water is best.

Your healthcare provider may also prescribe medications that help stones pass by relaxing the muscles in the ureter, the duct that urine passes through to get from the kidney to the bladder.

If the stone is too large to pass, blocks the flow of urine or causes an infection, it might be necessary to surgically remove the stone.

Check the medicines – Aspirin, chemotherapy drugs, immune-suppressing drugs, vitamin B3, and diuretics are some of the medicines that raise the level of uric acid in your blood.

Avoid taking stress – Less amount of exercise, stress and bad sleeping habits usually raise inflammation, which causes a high rise in the level of uric acid. Induce yoga and breathing exercises in your daily routine to help you cope with stress.

Eat fibre-rich food – Adding more fibre to your diet plan can help to reduce the level of uric acid stored in your blood. Eat a minimum of 5 to 10 gms of fibre every day to help balance the insulin level of your body.

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