Uric Acid Problem: Due to today’s fast-paced life, bad lifestyle and lack of physical activity, the problem of uric acid is increasing rapidly in people. The main reason for this is drinking less and working at one place for hours continuously and lack of physical activity. This is also called hyperuricemia in medical language. Many people are not aware of its symptoms but when they start having pain and swelling in their joints, then they become aware of it.
If the level of uric acid continuously increases in your body, then it also increases the problem of gout and kidney stones. Therefore, it is important that you recognize its symptoms in time and know its prevention methods, otherwise it can also turn into gout and kidney stones.
What is uric acid?
Uric acid is a waste chemical formed in our bodies by the breakdown of proteins called purines during digestion. Purines are naturally produced in our bodies and are also found in some foods. They travel through the bloodstream to the kidneys, where they filter them out and excrete them through urine. When uric acid builds up in large quantities and our kidneys are unable to excrete it, its level in the blood increases, and it gradually begins to accumulate in our joints in the form of tiny needle-like crystals. This causes pain and swelling. This condition is also known as gout and can also lead to kidney stones.
Symptoms of Uric Acid
When uric acid levels increase in the body, certain symptoms begin to appear. Let’s learn about them:-
- Severe pain and swelling in the big toe, known as gout, often occurs at night or upon waking in the morning.
- Sudden pain in the big toe, accompanied by redness and swelling, occurs.
- The skin around the affected joint turns red, and you feel heat there.
- In addition to the big toe, you may also experience pain in the joints of your knees, wrists, and fingers, and experience difficulty walking.
- When this waste product is unable to be excreted, it forms stones, causing frequent urination and lower abdominal pain.
Reasons for increase in uric acid
There are many reasons for increase in uric acid, let us know about them –
- When you start consuming purine rich diet like red meat, sea food, mushrooms, pulses like kidney beans, chickpeas in large quantities.
- When the functioning capacity of your kidneys starts decreasing and the kidneys are not able to filter properly, then the toxins produced in your body start accumulating in the body itself.
- When you start consuming alcohol and sweet drinks in large quantities which have high amount of fructose, due to this the level of uric acid starts increasing in the body.
Prevention and control of uric acid
- To prevent uric acid, you should drink adequate amount of water so that this acid gets excreted from the body through urine. You must drink three to four liters of water throughout the day.
- You should consume fruits rich in Vitamin C like lemon, orange, seasonal fruit, cherry, these reduce the level of uric acid.
- You should eat foods rich in fiber like porridge, green vegetables and apples.
What to avoid
- First, you should minimize your intake of high-purine foods like red meat and high-protein lentils.
- You should avoid alcohol and beer.
- You should also avoid bakery and processed foods like refined flour, pastries, and junk food.
