Uric acid plays a role in ensuring the normal functioning of the human body. Deviations of its level from the norm to a greater or lesser extent can serve as impetus to the development of various pathologies. If the analysis shows that uric acid in the blood is low, the causes and symptoms of this disorder are of interest to many people. In this article we will try to illuminate the prerequisites for their occurrence.
What is uric acid?
Acid was first found in urine and urinary stones. It is the product of the breakdown of purines, which are necessary for the life processes in the human body. This organic acid can be called nitrogenous slag.
Uric acid is mainly produced by the liver, and its excess is excreted by the kidneys. The higher its level in the blood, the longer the acid salts can linger in the body. The load on the kidneys increases.
Acid level
The reasons for lowering uric acid in the blood are related to the amount of purines that enter the body with food. They are mainly found in foods saturated with animal proteins.
Several factors have a significant influence on the acid level: the process of purine synthesis, how quickly these compounds are eliminated from the body, how intensively cells decompose, throwing purine compounds into the blood, how efficiently the excretory organs do their job.
In healthy people, the level of acid in the blood is kept within normal limits, they are not interested in the answer to the question of how to lower uric acid in the blood. Its indicators in males are higher than in women. Men in most cases have impressive muscle mass, sometimes abuse physical activity and consume protein-rich foods. These factors contribute to an increase in uric acid.
The functions of this acid
Uric acid does not harm the human body. It is a component of the metabolic system.
Salts of this acid are essential for essential functions. They help enhance the production of certain hormones, thereby stimulating the work of brain cells.
With an antioxidant effect, uric acid salts fight the development of oncological processes. They are endowed with the ability to capture and remove free radicals.
Uric acid lowered in blood (causes)
Acid deficiency detected during tests is often caused by the following reasons:
- Malfunctions in the liver, slowing down the production of a certain substance that can affect the concentration of acid in the blood.
- Excretion of excess uric acid.
- Deficiency of protein foods leads to a decrease in uric acid in the blood. The causes of this problem usually lie in the observance of strict diets, veganism and vegetarianism.
In certain cases, uric acid levels may deviate from the norm under the influence of an unbalanced diet enriched in protein foods.
Blood Acid Diseases
Certain pathologies can negatively affect normal uric acid levels in the blood. The following diseases can slow down the production of its crystals:
- Diseases of the liver, occurring in acute and chronic form. They negatively affect the formation of enzymes involved in the process of cleavage of purine compounds.
- Chronic alcoholism This serious and in most cases incurable disease causes irreversible changes in the structure of the liver and kidneys. Alcohol abuse also leads to lower levels of acid salts in the blood.
- When uric acid in the blood decreases, the cause may be the development of pathological processes in the kidneys.
- Genetic pathologies that disrupt metabolic processes involving copper. This trace element is endowed with the ability to lower uric acid. A copper deficiency in the body can trigger the development of such a serious disease as cirrhosis.
- Severe burns of a large area of the skin, affecting the soft tissues.
- Toxicosis in women in the first trimester of pregnancy, which can increase the load on the kidneys, can also serve as an impetus for lowering the level of acid.
Gout
Such a common disease as gout (low uric acid in the blood is not considered the cause of its development) is a rather unpleasant ailment.
This disease is mainly observed in men who have reached adulthood. Sometimes it can be typical of families, transmitted by inheritance. Even before the onset of characteristic symptoms of gout, a blood test can detect an increase in uric acid in the patient’s blood.
The first signs of this disease usually do not give cause for concern. A person can feel pain in the big toe, after some time the pain disappears on their own, but then they return and become stronger.
Symptoms of gout include:
- Pain in the fingers of the upper and lower extremities, ankle joint, knee.
- High body temperature.
- Increased white blood cell count.
- In the fluid taken for examination from the diseased joint, there are white blood cells involved in phagocytosis, and the content of acid crystals is lowered.
- The chronic course of gout sometimes leads to joint deformation and an irreversible process of necrosis of the affected tissue.
It is difficult to cure this disease, sometimes the course of treatment can adversely affect the patient’s health status. Taking special anti-gout medications is one of the reasons for lowering uric acid in the blood.
Acid Level Test
You can get information about the acid content in the blood only by resorting to a special analysis. Doctors prescribe it in certain cases:
- With symptoms of gout.
- To identify the causes of kidney stones.
- With kidney disease.
- If the patient has been taking potent drugs for a long time.
- The patient began to lose weight dramatically.
This analysis allows you to identify whether uric acid is increased or decreased in the blood. The causes of this condition must be clarified.
Before taking the test, you should not enter into your diet an excess of sweet and salty foods, drink alcohol-based drinks. Smoking is not recommended one hour prior to delivery. Medication may also affect the results of this analysis.
How to normalize acid levels
To normalize the concentration of salts of this acid, a specialist prescribes a course of specific treatment. It should be combined with a diet that can eliminate anxiety symptoms.
A large number of people tend to lower uric acid in the blood by folk remedies. The methods of traditional medicine, of which there are a large number, often allow you to bring the acid level back to normal.
Nettle juice helps remove excess acid from the body. Take it is advised several times a day for a teaspoon.
A decoction of lingonberry leaves, prepared according to a specific recipe at home, also helps to remove acid salts from the human body.
Effective remedies prepared on the basis of a decoction of birch leaves, infusion of calendula, sage and chamomile also help to normalize the amount of uric acid in a fairly short time.
When uric acid in the blood is lowered, the reasons for increasing its content have been eliminated, the patient does not feel unwell. But do not relax to get rid of these problems forever, it is recommended to exercise and eat right.
Useful Tips
To normalize the level of acid in the blood, you should listen to certain recommendations:
- Limit purine-rich foods.
- Get rid of excess weight, which can lead to the development of gout.
- Strictly comply with the prescriptions of doctors.
- Regularly donate blood for analysis and visit a specialist.
- Do not resort to self-medication, it is recommended to take only those drugs that are prescribed by the attending physician.
- Drink plenty of fluids that can increase urine output.
Often with a decrease in acid levels, pronounced symptoms are not observed. The weakness and sensitivity of the skin may well signal the development of a certain pathology in the body.
Decreased uric acid in the blood usually does not pose a real threat to human health, but in certain cases it can lead to the formation of kidney stones.