“Doctor, is there a mistake? I just have a bit of back pain, how could it be nephritis?” The middle-aged man in the clinic was very uneasy, and his complexion was not very good.
After understanding, we know that the man’s surname is Wang. He came to the hospital because he had swollen knees and lower back pain recently. However, when the doctor heard his description, he asked him to quickly go for a kidney examination.
After the results came out, Mr. Wang was in a panic. It turns out that the uric acid concentration in his body was as high as 870, leading to decreased kidney function and nephritis. Thus, the scene at the beginning occurred.
Why is uric acid elevation “silent”? The doctor revealed the truth.
The doctor pointed out that 80% of people with high uric acid, like Mr. Wang, only come to the hospital when uric acid continues to rise and causes significant damage to the joints or kidneys, delaying the optimal treatment timing.
This is because elevated uric acid is a slow and insidious process, and in the early stages, the symptoms presented are often minor.
Only when uric acid salt crystals accumulate in the joints and kidneys in large quantities, will there be sensations of tingling, soreness, at which point some people may mistake it for overwork, inflammation, or sprain, and not take it seriously.
Is uric acid elevation truly “traceless”? Reminder: Two cracks in men’s bodies, get a check-up early.
1. Heel cracking
During hospitalization, the doctor learned that even before the New Year, Mr. Wang had rough and cracked heels, but at that time the weather was cold, and he thought he had gotten frostbite so he didn’t pay much attention to it.
Under normal circumstances, our feet should be smooth. Elevated uric acid can lead to endocrine imbalance, affecting the kidney’s metabolic capacity, causing harmful substances to accumulate in the limbs.
At this point, the feet will swell and become rough, and the heels will crack. In such a situation in life, we must not be careless.
2. Lip cracking
In addition, when uric acid continues to rise, we may feel abnormally dry and thirsty, experiencing dry and cracked lips, and breakage.
This is because the urination capacity of people with high uric acid will decrease, leading to reduced urine output or even no urine, resulting in toxin accumulation, unable to be eliminated, and the kidneys being too hot.
At this point, the lips will crack. Even if you drink water, it won’t truly alleviate the problem. It is important to identify the cause and treat it accordingly.
To maintain kidney health and stay away from high uric acid, we need to do three things:
1. Replenish water in time.
2. Adjust dietary structure.
Research has found that the main reason for elevated uric acid is excessive intake of high purine foods; therefore, we need to adjust our dietary structure in daily life.
Foods like seafood, animal offal, legumes should be eaten less, beer, liquor, and other drinks that damage the kidneys should be consumed less.
Foods like eggs, dairy products, fruits are not only rich in nutrients but also have low purine content and can be eaten more.
3. Exercise the body appropriately.
Most white-collar workers, return home every day, eat, then lie down and play with their phones, this habit is very unhealthy.
Spending 30 minutes every day exercising can accelerate blood circulation, improve kidney metabolic capacity, help the kidneys excrete harmful substances, and avoid uric acid buildup.
However, it’s best to select exercise based on individual physical condition. Middle-aged and those with high uric acid can choose from Baduanjin, Tai Chi, stepping, and other low-intensity exercises to avoid secondary pressure on the joints and kidneys.
Fun Fact:
Under normal circumstances, the serum uric acid value for adult males is between 149μmol/L to 416μmol/L, while for adult females, it is between 89μmol/L to 357μmol/L;
For males over 60 years old, the normal serum uric acid value is between 250μmol/L to 476μmol/L, and for females, it’s between 190μmol/L to 434μmol/L.
We can conduct comprehensive physical examinations annually to understand our health status, adjust diet and lifestyle habits based on examination reports. Even if uric acid levels are high, they can be discovered in time, treated early to avoid deterioration of the condition.
