Will gout find me? How do I check?

Gout is no stranger to everyone. Many gout patients are even more devastated by acute attacks. On top of the banquet, facing the delicacies on the table, many gout patients have no way to lower chopsticks and are extremely worried. Many people can’t help but think: Don’t find me for this disease.

The key to stay away from gout lies in the early detection of hyperuricemia and the elimination of gout signs in the bud.

People with the following high-risk factors, it is best to be vigilant and check uric acid in the hospital regularly.

1. The elderly: over 60 years old, regardless of sex and body shape;

2. Obesity: especially middle-aged men and postmenopausal women;

3. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases (such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, etc.);

4. Metabolic diseases: diabetes, hyperlipidemia, etc.;

5. Poor living habits: for example, the middle-aged and elderly people who have no meat for a long time, like seafood and love drinking very much;

6. People with family history of gout;

7. Arthritis has occurred before: especially the middle-aged and elderly people with a single attack of arthritis;

8. Kidney stones: especially patients with recurrent kidney stones and bilateral kidney stones.

What precautions do you have to check uric acid level?

The level of uric acid in the blood fluctuates, and it will change due to the physical condition of the day, the diet, exercise amount and drugs used the day before.

In order to obtain true and reliable results, there are the following precautions:

  1. The best time to check is on an empty stomach in the morning: if you are full, especially after the big fish and meat, the uric acid value in your blood will inevitably be high. The day before the uric acid check, pay attention to a light diet and avoid drinking alcohol and eating high purine foods such as meat, fish and shrimp.

  2. Do not take strenuous exercise before examination: after strenuous exercise, muscles decompose ATP in large quantities, indirectly promoting the production of uric acid, and also making uric acid examination results high. Therefore, do not go to the hospital for examination after running, fast climbing stairs, weight bearing, exercise and other activities.

  3. Drug effects: Some drugs such as aspirin, diuretics and some antihypertensive drugs will affect uric acid excretion. It is better to stop using it for 5-7 days before examination. If the disease needs to be stopped inconveniently and uric acid is found to be abnormal after examination, it is necessary to consult a specialist and combine the drugs taken by oneself to grasp the treatment indications of high uric acid.

  1. Pay attention to review: For people with high risk factors for uric acid, A uric acid examination results are normal, also can’t be taken lightly, thus easily eliminating the possibility of gout and hyperuricemia, it is recommended to review at least once a year. If the result of uric acid is in the high limit of the normal range, it is recommended to find the same time period to measure more than 3 times in different days, and take its average value to obtain reliable results.

Gout is a disease that, once obvious joint pain occurs, or gout nodules or urinary calculi occur, the quality of life will be seriously affected. We must not avoid medical treatment. Early detection and control are the basis for the treatment of high uric acid and gout.

Responsible Editor: Zhang Jingyuan