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Uric Acid Test - How ACCURATE Is It?

Have you ever went to a general check-up only to be given a piece of paper filled with very long string of jargons and numbers that seemingly makes no sense? I myself experienced that and did not care about the numbers and left the interpretation job to the doctor. Little did I know that those numbers meant very significant omen. Especially the uric acid level.
This article aims to explain the significance of uric acid tests.

Uric Acid – The Unnoticeable KILLER

Most likely, you will not go to your doctor for a uric acid test in a whim. “Hey! Maybe my uric acid level is not normal. I want to go to the doctor”. Hence, too much uric acid is usually discovered late, be it because uric acid was found to be abnormal in a GENERAL lab test, or maybe some hyperuricemia complications decided to appear by themselves, usually gout. Because of this, uric acid wreaks havoc without hyperuricemia sufferers being aware that they are hyperuricemia sufferers!

Taking uric acid tests every once in a while is a bit weird for the normal people, but it helps. Alternatively, monitoring your uric acid level every time you go for a general lab test is good enough. If your uric acid level deviates from the normal range (25 mg/L to 80 mg/L in men and 15 mg/L to 60 mg/L in women), it is about time you notify your doctor. Take note however that we are not robots or machineries whose specs have been calculated and preprogrammed. Thus, the normal uric acid level of every individual may vary.

If you are not interested in taking uric acid tests as preemptive scouting against hyperuricemia, then you can wait for some disaster to happen. You can wait for your joint to become swollen, red and hot to the touch and walk around with the all-caps word PAIN hanging in your neck like a jewelry. OR, you can wait for some back pain and difficulty urinating and say hello to KIDNEY STONES. Those are none but two of the worst things you can avoid. Alternatively, you can watch out for symptoms of hyperuricemia. These symptoms are not officially recognized in the medical world. In fact, hyperuricemia is viewed as an asymptomatic disorder which shows no sign until complications erupt. However, those symptoms are worth taking note of, especially because studies are beginning to float and prove that uric acid is a biomarker of different medical conditions.

How to Prepare for a Uric Acid Test

There are two types of uric acid tests; serum and urine. Either way, it will help to abstain from eating 4 hours prior to the test. You should also inform your doctor about any over-the-counter or even prescribed drugs you have been taking because they can cause inaccuracies to the test.
Sometimes uric acid tests that specifically target gout are conducted. Synovial fluid samples are drawn from the joints (ouch) and are assessed of the presence of uric acid crystals. However, such tests can be inaccurate, especially when the seed crystal is only beginning to grow.

What Does the Result Indicate?

Depending on what disease you are being diagnosed, the result may mean a variety of things. High uric acid level indicates hyperuricemia and low uric acid means hypouricemia.
Hyperuricemia is a risk factor for diabetes, hypertension and even cancer. Hence, hyperuricemia is a very bad sign of almost anything bad you can imagine.

I Have a Very High Uric Acid Level. What now?

If your uric acid level is very high, chances are high that you will get hyperuricemia complications such as gout, diabetes, kidney stones and hypertension. Hence, further consultation and communication with your doctor is recommended. It is important to root out which disease is causing your increased uric acid level or which disease has been caused by the high uric acid level. This way, you can isolate the damage and focus on what you should root out first.
If you have been suffering from hyperuricemia and the other diseases accompanying it, it is most likely that you are suffering from acidosis as well. If you want to treat your high uric acid level, gout and whatever disease is accompanying them, focus on acidosis firtst.

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