The uric acid test helps in measuring the amount of uric acid in your body. Our body is in constant motion. Even when we sleep, our brain continues to work, our gut continues to process the broken particles. The moment you eat something, your body gets in an active mode of taking out the important stuff from your food like protein or vitamins and flushing out anything that is a waste to it. One of the waste products is known as uric acid. It is formed when the body breaks down purines which are found in food. The uric acid is discharged from your body when you pee and poop.
You have seen people coming up with such thing that their uric acid is tremendously high and they have to avoid certain types of foods. High level of uric acid is the result of disease which is known as gout. The uric acid test is also known as uric acid serum blood test or UA.
How the problem begins
When your body takes out purines from the food, it will then release uric acid. A lot of uric acid will be dissolved in the bloodstream and will then be carried to the kidneys. The kidneys will then flush out the uric acid through urination. Some uric acid will also be released when you poop. If your body fails to remove uric acid from your blood, you then have this problem of uric acid. In this scenario, either your body will produce too much of it or too little.
The uric test is helpful in determining the level of your uric acid plus what has caused you to such a level. When you head over to measure your uric acid, your doctor will explain to you how well your body is producing and releasing the uric acid out of your body. The uric test is undertaken by using a urine sample.
Why do I need this?
Your doctor will recommend you for the test based on your symptoms. These medical symptoms must deal with the levels of uric acid. If you have an increased level of uric acid, it will usually end up in creating gout issues which is a very common form of arthritis. The condition will give you severe pains in your ankles or joints.
You may even have:
- a joint which is hot when touched
- reddened or discolored skin around a joint
- swollen joints.
If you have a very high amount of uric acid, you may have the signs of kidney stones. Kidney stones are the big chunks of crystals. These crystals are formed in the urinary tract. You may have these symptoms if you are suffering from kidney stones:
- Nausea
- fever
- vomiting
- Chills
- blood in the urine
- Extreme pain in the lower back
- Frequent urge for urination
Your doctor will recommend you to go for the uric acid test to determine how well you are recovering from gout or kidney stones. This test is also helpful in monitoring your condition if you have had radiation treatment or chemotherapy. Such treatments also justifies the accumulation of uric acid in your body.
Preparing for the uric acid test
Before proceeding with the test, you must clarify your doctor if you are going through any type of medication or drugs. Your honesty will help the test result to be more accurate. While you will have your date for the test, you doctor will recommend you to stop taking any kind of drugs or medication.?
How the test is done?
The test is performed by drawing your blood from any of the private blood tests at a nearby location and it will take a few minutes.
What are the risks involved in it?
There aren?t such risks as such but as happened when something goes inside your body. You will feel some pinch on your arm when the needle will go inside. Since the blood drawn process is involved you may have some rare cases of:
- Bruishing
- Bleeding
- Feeling dizzy
- Infection
Study of the test result
The result will tell you the level of your uric acid in your body. The uric acid is measured in milligrams (mg) and the blood in deciliters (dL). The normal range varies from labs to labs. Make sure you have a thorough check with your doctor to help understand about your level of uric acid. The result will be out in 1-2 days. It won?t take much.
