Table of contents:
- What is gout?
- Limit normal uric acid levels in the body
- What if the uric acid level is higher than normal?
- How to keep uric acid levels normal
- 1. Adopting a low-purine diet
- 2. Maintain a healthy weight
Gout or gout is an inflammation that causes joints to experience sudden pain, swelling, and redness. The cause of gout is uric acid levels (uric acid) which jumps too high in the body. So, what is the range of uric acid levels that are called normal and what is in the high category?
What is gout?
Uric acid (uric acid) is a chemical made when the body breaks down purines. Purines themselves are chemical compounds that are produced naturally by the body and you can get them from a number of foods.
Uric acid is usually dissolved in the blood and will be distributed to the kidneys. The kidneys will then remove the excess regularly through urine and feces so that the uric acid level in the blood remains normal.
However, sometimes uric acid levels can get too high in the body. This can be caused by impaired kidney function so the kidneys can't get rid of it properly, your body is producing too much uric acid, or both.
However, high uric acid does not always trigger symptoms. However, in most cases, this condition can cause health problems. Therefore, it is important for you to check whether your uric acid level is within the normal range or not, and how to keep this number within a fair value.
Limit normal uric acid levels in the body
Reasonable uric acid levels for each person can be different. This can be influenced by age, gender, diet, and physical health conditions of each.
In addition, the uric acid check method used by each laboratory or hospital can affect the results of your uric acid level. Therefore, each laboratory or hospital may have slightly different normal ranges. So, always consult with your doctor about the right uric acid check and how the test results.
However, the following is a range of normal uric acid levels in the blood, both in adult women, adult men, and children.
- Adult women: 2.4–6.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL)
- Adult men: 3.1–7.0 mg / dL
- Children: 2.0–5.5 mg / dL
Apart from blood tests, checking uric acid levels can also be done through urine tests if needed. However, it should be understood that the results shown from urine tests may differ.
Normal uric acid levels in urine are 250-750 milligrams or 1.48-4.43 millimoles (mmol) per total urine sample for 24 hours.
What if the uric acid level is higher than normal?
Uric acid levels can show abnormal results or exceed normal levels. If you exceed 6.0 mg / dL in women and 7.0 mg / dL in men, you have high uric acid, which is also known as hyperuricemia.
Much higher uric acid levels can be caused by eating a high-purine diet, drinking excess alcohol, taking diuretic drugs, or due to a variety of health conditions, such as:
- Diabetes.
- Being overweight or obese.
- Leukemia.
- Polycythemia vera.
- Hypoparathyroidism.
- Hypothyroidism.
- Are undergoing cancer treatment or have cancer that spreads.
- Kidney disorders, such as kidney failure.
High uric acid levels can accumulate and crystallize in the joints, causing various symptoms of gout or gout. This uric acid buildup can also occur in the kidneys, so it settles and forms kidney stones.
In addition, uric acid levels can also be too low than normal limits. Low uric acid levels can be caused by various things, such as:
- HIV infection.
- Liver disease.
- Low-purine foods.
- Take medications, such as fenofibrate, and losartan.
- Fanconi Syndrome.
How to keep uric acid levels normal
According to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines, serum uric acid levels should be lowered to a minimum of less than 6.0 mg / dL to avoid long-term recurrence of gout symptoms. Here's how to lower or keep uric acid values within normal limits:
1. Adopting a low-purine diet
The human body produces purines in small amounts. The purine is then broken down into uric acid. If you increase purines from the intake you consume, then uric acid levels will be high.
Therefore, you should limit your intake of additional purines from food to keep your uric acid levels within normal limits. Foods that trigger uric acid with high purine content that you need to limit, such as:
- Red meat.
- Innards.
- Seafood, such as anchovies, shellfish, crab shrimp, sardines, tuna.
- Alcoholic beverages.
In addition, you also need to limit your consumption of foods and drinks containing high fructose sugar to help keep uric acid levels within normal limits.
Instead, switch to foods with low purine levels, such as low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fruit high in vitamin C and low in fructose, cherries, and other gout foods. In addition, you also need to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration, which can be one of the causes of increased uric acid levels.
2. Maintain a healthy weight
Obesity is one of the factors that increase uric acid levels, especially the risk of uric acid at a young age. Therefore, maintaining a healthy and ideal body weight can reduce the risk of an increase in uric acid levels in you.
You can maintain a healthy and ideal body weight by eating a nutritionally balanced diet, limiting the number of calories in your daily intake, and exercising regularly.
