During medical check-ups, many people panic when faced with elevated uric acid levels. The battle against the “three highs” is not over yet as hyperuricemia, the “fourth high,” has quietly emerged.
Statistics show that there are approximately 200 million people in China with hyperuricemia, showing characteristics of high prevalence, younger age groups, higher prevalence in males than females, and higher prevalence in coastal areas compared to inland areas.
Urinary acid, often associated with gout in many people’s minds, is not just a cause of gout. It is also linked to cardiovascular diseases and endocrine and chronic kidney diseases, serving as independent risk factors for the occurrence and development of these conditions. In other words, gout is just the tip of the iceberg of hyperuricemia.
1. Asymptomatic Phase
If the body’s uric acid levels are high, there are usually no symptoms in the early phase. Therefore, the uric acid levels continue to rise without any external changes in the body, and there are no abnormal reactions. Unless the condition worsens, significant abnormalities may not manifest for several years or more.
2. Joint Pain
During episodes of hyperuricemia, severe joint pain often accompanies it, with the pain often occurring suddenly at night.
3. Morning Stiffness
When blood uric acid levels significantly increase, some patients may experience redness, swelling, and pain in small joints, accompanied by morning stiffness symptoms. Joints can feel particularly stiff in the morning, but the symptoms can ease with movement.
4. General Discomfort
During episodes of hyperuricemia, patients may experience symptoms such as fever, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, and headaches.
It is challenging for patients with high uric acid to achieve complete recovery without medication. For those with elevated blood uric acid levels, continuous uric acid-lowering drug therapy is crucial. The main types of drugs used clinically for uric acid reduction include allopurinol and febuxostat for inhibiting uric acid production, and probenecid for promoting uric acid excretion. The choice of medication depends on the patient’s condition for ongoing uric acid reduction treatment.
Additionally, patients with high blood uric acid levels need to adhere to a strict low-purine diet to reduce the source of blood uric acid. They should also drink plenty of water, urinate frequently to promote the excretion of uric acid through urine.
