What is a Uric Acid Test?
Uric acid check is a test conducted to determine the level of uric acid in the blood or urine. Previously, it should be noted that uric acid is a natural compound produced by the body and is formed from the breakdown of purine substances from food or drink.
The compound does not actually cause problems as long as the levels are still within normal limits. On the other hand, when uric acid levels are too high, some symptoms may appear that can be disturbing.
Why Do Uric Acid Check?
A uric acid check is done to find out the level of uric acid in the body. Actually, one person’s uric acid level will usually be different from another person’s. However, there is a reference set in determining normal uric acid levels.
In women, normal uric acid levels are 2.4–6.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). While in men, normal uric acid is 3.4–7.6 mg/dL and in children, it is 2.0–5.5 mg/dL.
Most uric acid dissolves in the blood and then enters the kidneys. From there, the waste is excreted through urine. However, if a person’s body makes too much uric acid or not enough uric acid is excreted through urine, the compound can form crystals in the joints. This condition is known as gout.
This disease is arthritis which causes painful inflammation in and around the joints. High uric acid levels can also cause other disorders, including kidney stones and kidney failure.
There are several factors that can cause a person’s uric acid levels to increase. One of them is due to the consumption of foods rich in purines, such as red meat, seafood, mackerel, liver, nuts, and alcoholic beverages.
Well, high uric acid usually causes several symptoms, such as pain that appears and goes away in the joints, typical pain in the big toe, difficulty walking, joints that are difficult to move and become red, and pain that can interfere with activities and last for a long time.
However, in addition to the symptoms that appear, high uric acid levels can also be detected through examinations, aka uric acid checks. In addition to diagnosing gout, uric acid checks can also be used for the following purposes:
- Helps find the cause of common kidney stones.
- Monitor uric acid levels for people undergoing cancer treatment. This is because chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause high levels of uric acid in the blood.
When Should You Do a Uric Acid Check?
Uric acid tests can be done at any time, through laboratory tests or wireless test devices. However, this test may be recommended for certain medical conditions or to determine the triggers of certain symptoms, such as joint pain. Doctors may recommend a uric acid test for people who complain of pain around their joints.
In addition, you may also be advised to check your uric acid if you experience symptoms of kidney stones, such as:
- Sharp pain in the abdomen, back or groin.
- Back pain.
- There are blood spots in the urine.
- Frequent urge to urinate.
- Feeling pain when urinating.
- Urine is cloudy or has an unpleasant odor.
- Nausea and vomiting.
Your doctor may also recommend this test if you are undergoing cancer treatment.
How to Check Uric Acid?
Uric acid checks can be done in two ways, namely uric acid blood tests and uric acid urine tests. Blood tests are done by taking blood samples to be examined in a laboratory or special uric acid test tool. The blood sample taken will later show a number which is the content or level of uric acid in a person.
Meanwhile, urine tests are done by taking a urine sample. You need to collect urine for 24 hours. The health worker will tell you how to collect the urine sample and store it.
Through this examination, it will be known how the kidneys function in removing uric acid. If the kidneys cannot remove uric acid from the blood normally, the risk of crystal formation or kidney stones becomes greater.
Where to Check Uric Acid?
Uric acid checks can be done at any health facility, from clinics or community health centers, hospitals, emergency units (UGD), to health laboratories.