Uric acid crystals in urine: causes of increase, norms and treatment

An increase in urine crystals of uric acid often indicates a dysfunction in the body. These salts are formed at high concentrations of urine. Their detection in the analysis can be associated with both improper diet and medication, and with diseases. In medicine, such deposits are called urates. If these salts appear in the urine, then doctors talk about uraturia. What are the reasons for this deviation? And how is this dangerous? In the article we will consider these issues in detail.

What it is

Proteins, purines, enter the human body along with food. Normally, these compounds are completely recycled. However, with various pathologies or an excess of protein food in the diet, purine metabolism is impaired. This leads to an increase in urine concentration. As a result, a high uric acid content is formed in urine. In this case, urate precipitates.

Norm

To identify the content of urates, it is necessary to undergo a routine clinical study of urine. In a healthy person, uric acid crystals in urine can only be in very small quantities. The content of these salts depends on the age and gender of the patient:

Causes of Uraturia

What causes uric acid crystals to increase in urinalysis? Urine concentration may increase with:

1. Malnutrition. If a person abuses fried, spicy and fatty foods, and also often consumes alcohol, then this affects the composition of urine. Urine becomes acidic and becomes excessively concentrated.
2. Long-term use of medicines. Long-term medication can also affect uric acid levels. Uraturia can be a side effect of antibiotics, antipyretic and antibacterial drugs.
3. Dehydration. A person loses fluid in pathological conditions accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting, with excessive sweating, as well as during physical exertion. Due to water loss, urine becomes concentrated.
4. Impaired production of ammonia by the kidneys. Such dysfunction is noted in various pathologies of the excretory organs: hydronephrosis, thrombosis, or kidney prolapse.
5. Gout. This is a serious metabolic disorder in which uric acid is not excreted, but accumulates in the body. Urate is deposited in the joints, leading to severe pain.
6. Infectious diseases of the ureters. With inflammatory processes, urine becomes excessively concentrated.
7. Deviations in the composition of the blood. Uraturia is often detected in diseases of the hematopoietic system.

In pregnant

During pregnancy, an increased number of uric acid crystals is often determined in the analysis. The cause of this deviation is most often toxicosis, accompanied by vomiting and dehydration.

Some patients try to consume as much protein food as possible during pregnancy. Protein is essential for an unborn baby to properly form tissues. However, protein foods should be included moderately in the diet, otherwise such nutrition can cause uraturia. This is especially true for animal protein found in fish and meat. During the period of gestation, it is better to give preference to vegetable and milk proteins.

Inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and ureters can also be the cause of uraturia during pregnancy. With an increased content of urinary crystals, doctors recommend that you pass the test again. If urates are detected repeatedly, then additional tests of kidney function are prescribed.

In children

Crystals of uric acid in the urine of a child may appear due to malnutrition. If parents often give the baby fish and meat food, this can lead to an excess of purines in the body. In this case, you can easily fix the situation. It is enough to review the diet of the child and limit the amount of animal protein.

However, it must be remembered that an increased rate of uric acid crystals in a child may indicate uric acid diathesis. With this disease, the child becomes restless, sleeps poorly, is naughty. So the first signs of pathology are manifested. In such cases, it is very important to start treatment on time. Otherwise, in the future, the process of deposition of urate in the joints and under the skin will begin. This is accompanied by the following unpleasant symptoms:

• the appearance of itchy rashes on the skin;
• frequent dyspeptic symptoms (nausea, diarrhea);
• attacks of suffocation.

It is important to remember that children with uric acid diathesis grow quite quickly. However, in this case, this does not indicate the health of the child. Uric diathesis must be cured on time. Otherwise, in adulthood, a violation of the metabolism of uric acid can lead to gout.

Why is it dangerous

Is an increase in the content of uric acid crystals dangerous? If the release of urates is noted for a long time, then in the future salts can form stones. A person begins with urolithiasis. If the deposits get stuck in the ureter, an attack of renal colic occurs, accompanied by severe pain.

In addition, excess uric acid can cause gout. This is a serious metabolic disorder, which is accompanied by severe pain in the joints.

Manifestations of uraturia

At first, uraturia may be asymptomatic. It can only be detected by a blood test. However, as the pathology progresses, the following painful manifestations arise:

• weakness;
• fatigue
• nausea;
• temperature rise;
• causeless pressure surges;
• the appearance of blood impurities in the urine;
• pains in the lower abdomen, radiating to the lower back.

These are pretty troubling signs. They indicate the onset of urolithiasis.

If excess uric acid leads to gout, then the patient has severe pain in the ankle or knee. Unpleasant sensations are paroxysmal in nature. The pain syndrome can be so intense that the patient cannot stand the slightest touch on the leg. In this case, joint inflammation is caused by the deposition of urate in the bones.

Diet

A strict diet is indicated for all patients with a high content of uric acid crystals. It is necessary to limit the intake of purines with food as much as possible. Patients are prohibited from eating the following foods:

• meat;
• oily fish (including canned food);
• sausages;
• smoked meats;
• fatty and fried foods;
• animal fats;
• bean dishes;
• coffee;
• meat offal;
• alcohol.

It is allowed to consume no more than 70 g of animal protein per day. You can eat white meat of chicken, turkey or rabbit meat. However, such dishes can be included in the menu no more than 3 times a week.

It is useful for patients to eat apples, bananas, cherries. These fruits and berries are rich in potassium. This composition of food helps to remove urates from the body. Juice of apple and lemon is also useful.

In this case, the diet should be varied and complete. Patients with uraturia should not be starved, this can lead to a worsening of the condition. It is very important to drink at least 2 liters of fluid per day. This will help flush out salts from the body.

Drug therapy

How to dissolve uric acid crystals? This question worries many patients. It should be noted right away that it is impossible to get rid of urata by folk remedies. It is necessary to take special medications that neutralize uric acid salts:

• Allopurinol.
• "Blemaren."
• Soluran.

However, it is important to remember that self-medication in this case is unacceptable. Such drugs can be taken only as directed by a urologist.

Also prescribed medications that help remove uric acid from the body:

• "Asparkam".
• "Fitolizin".
• "Urolesan".
• "Kanefron".
• "Uriconorm".

Drug therapy will be effective only if the patient adheres to a diet. If the patient violates the rules of nutrition, then the signs of uraturia may return.

Plasmapheresis

If the patient is diagnosed with gout, then the plasmapheresis procedure is performed. With this medical manipulation, the patient's blood is purified. This allows you to remove uric acid crystals from the body.

How effective is plasmapheresis? This procedure in many cases helps to achieve a stable remission. The patient's health after cleansing the blood improves significantly. But to achieve a positive effect is possible only in cases where the patient adheres to a diet. With nutritional disorders, relapse of gout inevitably occurs.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that uraturia is a rather dangerous sign that signals a possible development of urolithiasis in the future. Therefore, such a symptom cannot be ignored. You need to review your diet, and if necessary, undergo a course of treatment with a urologist.