Replace sugary drinks with filtered water and fiber-rich smoothies. Drinking plenty of fluids helps your kidneys flush out uric acid faster. Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Set an alarm every hour to remind you to take a few sips. Drinking alcohol can make you more dehydrated. It can also trigger high uric acid levels.
This happens because your kidneys must first filter out products that occur in the blood due to alcohol instead of uric acid and other wastes. Along with your diet, extra pounds can raise uric acid levels. Fat cells make more uric acid than muscle cells.
Additionally, carrying extra pounds makes it harder for your kidneys to filter out uric acid. Losing weight too quickly can also affect levels. Talk to a nutritionist about a healthy diet and weight loss plan that you can follow. Your doctor can recommend a healthy weight goal for your body type.
Have your blood sugar level checked when you visit your doctor. Adults with type 2 diabetes may have too much insulin in their bloodstream. This hormone is necessary to move sugar from your blood into your cells where it can power every bodily function. However, too much insulin leads to excess uric acid in the body , as well as weight gain.
Individuals with a condition called prediabetes may also have high insulin levels and a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Your doctor may want to check your serum insulin level in addition to your blood glucose level if insulin resistance is suspected.
Eating more fiber will help your body get rid of uric acid. Fiber can also help balance your blood sugar and insulin levels. It also tends to increase satiety, helping to lower the risk of overeating. Add at least 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day with whole foods such as:. Stress, poor sleeping habits, and too little exercise can increase inflammation. Inflammation may set off a high uric acid level.
Practice mindful techniques such as breathing exercises and yoga to help you cope with your stress levels. Join a class or use an app that reminds you to breathe and stretch several times a day. Some medications and supplements can also cause uric acid to build up in the blood. These include:. If you need to take any of these medications and you have hyperuricemia, your doctor can work with you to figure out a good alternative.
Diet, exercise, and other healthy lifestyle changes can improve gout and other illnesses caused by high uric acid levels. Take all prescribed medications as directed by your doctor. You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail.
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Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Gout most commonly affects the toe joints, ankles, and knees. When cells die, they release purines. These release uric acid into the blood when the body breaks them down. Some cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy , can cause cells in the body to die. Uric acid testing may be part of medical care for a person who has cancer. Kidney disease damages the kidneys and stops them from working normally. When this happens, waste products that include uric acid can build up in the blood.
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.
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 a kidney stone , which high uric acid levels can also cause, include:.
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. A uric acid test measures the amount of uric acid in the blood or urine. A person may need the test if they have gout symptoms or kidney stones or are undergoing cancer treatment. The test does not carry any risks. A healthcare professional may take a small sample of blood with a needle or ask the person to collect their urine over a hour period.
Laboratory technicians will then test the sample for uric acid levels. Doctors may sometimes also perform a joint aspiration , in which they use a needle and syringe to remove a small amount of fluid from the swollen joint. The presence of uric acid crystals in the fluid indicates gout. Sometimes, a person will have high uric acid levels but no symptoms of a medical condition.
They are unlikely to need treatment unless they develop symptoms. Certain foods contain purines, which create uric acid when the body breaks them down. Eating a diet that is too rich in purines can cause uric acid to build up in the blood. It is not possible to avoid purines completely because small amounts are present in many foods. However, a person can follow a low purine diet and take other steps to help lower purine levels.
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