Violation of metabolic processes in the body is the cause of various diseases. One of these is uric acid diathesis. This condition precedes serious disorders in the functioning of the urinary, nervous and musculoskeletal systems. It develops at any age, but always requires close attention from doctors.
Medical certificate
All elements of living organisms contain purines. The natural process of deformation of cellular structures entails the destruction of these substances. As a result of decay, uric acid is produced. In normal concentration, it performs several functions. It is entrusted with the work of cleansing the body from excess nitrogen, protecting blood vessels from damage, stimulating brain functions. Uric acid is excreted naturally. Normally, its content in the body of a man is 3.4-7.0 mg per 100 ml of blood, and women - 2.4-5.7 units.
If metabolic processes are disturbed, for example, water-salt balance, uric acid is retained in the body. Its level rises, salts (urates) present in the composition crystallize and precipitate. They can accumulate under the skin, in the kidneys, joints and other organs. In urine, a similar precipitate resembles red crystals. The presence of such salts in urine is the main symptom of uric acid diathesis.
At the initial stages, the pathology does not manifest itself with a pronounced clinical picture. She often goes unnoticed, because the patient does not experience visible health problems. In the absence of timely treatment, complications may develop. They manifest in the form of gout, urolithiasis, and kidney failure. In this case, the digestive system always suffers. Pathology leads to changes in the psychological mood, since the acid stimulates the central nervous system.
Causes of occurrence
Disorders of purine metabolism, as a rule, are associated with a change in eating behavior. The cause of the pathology may be the use of foods rich in these compounds. We are talking about an excess in the diet of white meat, legumes, tomatoes, sweets, coffee and carbonated drinks. Also, the development of uric acid diathesis is affected by prolonged fasting. Today, doctors are increasingly linking a metabolic disorder with a genetic predisposition.
In addition, a whole group of factors can potentially provoke a violation:
- inflammatory processes of the abdominal cavity;
- irradiation;
- diabetes;
- frequent stress;
- alcohol abuse;
- taking hepatotoxic drugs;
- intense physical activity.
In pregnant women, the pathology develops due to fluid loss due to vomiting in severe toxicosis. Another reason is an increase in the activity of vasopressin - a hormone responsible for removing fluid from the body, increasing blood volume. The likelihood of the disorder is especially high in the first months after conception. However, it independently passes in most cases closer to the second trimester.
In children of the first years of life, symptoms of uric acid diathesis appear due to nutritional errors, the predominance of meat food in the diet. Their excretory system is imperfect, therefore, cannot dissolve large volumes of salts. Other causes of the disorder are damage to the hypothalamus, which is responsible for the production of vasopressin, kidney pathology, and Down syndrome.
Forms of the disease
Uric acid diathesis is most often manifested by damage to three systems: urinary, endocrine and nervous.
The hardest hit is usually the kidneys. In this case, an urolithiasis develops, which is characterized by the formation of calculi in the corresponding organs. Stones form uric acid salts. Their sizes may vary. The smallest stones are excreted in the urine, and large formations require surgical help. As a rule, the disease is asymptomatic. His first attacks are accompanied by severe pain, nausea and the appearance of blood in urine. To stop these manifestations, medical attention is needed.
Symptoms of uric acid diathesis in adults are sometimes expressed in the form of gout. In children, this disorder does not occur. It develops due to the transformation of uric acid into urates, which accumulate in the tissues. The most common manifestations of gout are considered affected joints. The fingers of the upper and lower extremities are most affected. In rare cases, arthritis develops. With gout, swelling and redness of the skin in the joint area, pain when pressed, are observed.
Pathology sometimes affects the central nervous system. The patient complains of increased fatigue and irritability, sleep disturbance, sudden mood changes.
General clinical picture
Regardless of the form of the manifestation of the disease, it is customary to highlight the overall clinical picture that is characteristic of certain stages of its course. At first, the patient does not experience health problems. The first sign of a disorder is the appearance of uric acid crystals in urine. At the same time, its acidity increases. A person may experience a burning sensation when urinating. The color also changes, the smell of urine to a more offensive and dark.
At the next stage, the psychological state of the patient changes. There is increased excitability, aggressiveness, frequent mood swings. CNS irritation results in sleep disturbances. The patient is tormented by nightmares. Uric acid diathesis necessarily affects the digestive tract. The pathological condition is characterized by poor appetite, loss / weight gain, nausea. Vomit has a pronounced smell of acetone.
Individual manifestations of the disease are paroxysmal and periodic. For example, temperature, blood pressure may increase slightly. Some patients have asthmatic attacks, headaches, and periodic tachycardia.
Symptoms of uric acid diathesis in women expecting a baby have practically no distinctive characteristics. However, they experience fluid loss due to vomiting due to toxicosis, weight gain, and prolonged constipation. In women in the menopause, the overall clinical picture is often supplemented by gout. The condition is accompanied by pain and inflammation of the joints of the big toes.
The course of pathology in children
In young patients, this diathesis is otherwise referred to as neuro-arthritic. This condition is not a disease, but a constitutional predisposition.
Acute symptoms are usually not felt by the child, but his behavior changes. The kid becomes easily excitable. Despite the expressed restlessness, such children quickly catch information and school material. They are significantly ahead of peers in mental development.
At night, small patients can uncontrollably urinate directly in bed. They are prone to allergic reactions to food and pollen. Therefore, rashes and scratches appear on the skin. In rare cases, they complain of joint pain.
Separately, we should talk about urate diathesis in infants. This condition manifests itself in infants immediately after birth. It is expressed in traces of orange crystals on diapers and dark urine. The increase in the number of urates occurs due to the adaptation of the child to extrauterine life. As a rule, the violation passes on its own within a few days.
Diagnostic Methods
Symptoms and treatment of uric acid diathesis in adults is a nephrologist, in children - a pediatrician. To clarify the preliminary diagnosis, the following laboratory tests are used:
- blood biochemistry;
- general urine analysis;
- urine and blood tests that determine the pH level.
An ultrasound of the urinary system is additionally prescribed for the detection of urate sand. If metabolic acidosis is detected, the lungs and liver are examined. Based on the results of a comprehensive diagnosis, the doctor prescribes treatment.
Therapy options
There is no specific treatment for uric acid diathesis in adults. The therapy recommended by the doctor is purely symptomatic. Its main goal is to reduce the concentration of urate in the urine and lower the acidity of urine. For this, medications, diet therapy and the help of traditional medicine are used. Consider what each treatment option represents.
The use of drugs and physiotherapy
The effect of medications used during therapy is aimed at:
- alkalinization of urine and a decrease in the content of uric acid in it (Kalinor, Urozit);
- stimulation of metabolic processes (various vitamin and mineral complexes);
- xanthine oxidase inhibition, preventing the production of uric acid ("Allopurinol").
To alleviate the condition, patients are prescribed various physiotherapy procedures. High efficiency is characterized by ultrasound therapy, magnetotherapy, UV irradiation and darsonvalization.
Diet change
Treatment of uric acid diathesis cannot be imagined without diet therapy. It is based on a sharp restriction in the diet of proteins and salt, but an increase in the content of “slow” carbohydrates. You will have to abandon fatty and fried foods, meat, sweets and canned food. The diet must necessarily include fresh vegetables and fruits, a variety of cereals, vegetable oil and nuts.
Dairy products and eggs are allowed to be consumed no more than twice a week, since they negatively affect the functioning of the kidneys. The total caloric content of the daily diet should be 2-3 thousand kcal. If there is a need to normalize weight, this indicator can be changed up or down.
To maintain a balance between spent and consumed calories, moderate exercise is recommended. For example, hiking, jogging or cycling. Morning exercises are especially useful. However, one should not be too zealous and overload the body. Otherwise, physical activity can have the opposite effect and increase the content of urate in the urine.
Help traditional medicine
To eliminate the symptoms of uric acid diathesis, treatment based on prescriptions of folk healers gives a positive result. Freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices help well. They help alter the acidity of the aid and its alkalization.
Herbal gatherings based on the following plants are no less useful: rosehip, knotweed, corn stigmas, St. John's wort. To prepare a decoction, you need to select one ingredient. Approximately 5 tablespoons of dry grass pour a glass of boiling water, leave in a thermos for several hours. The resulting broth is recommended to be taken in small sips during the day. The duration of such treatment should not exceed two weeks.
If there are signs of inflammation, you can add chamomile, calendula or calamus roots to the decoction. However, it is important to understand that herbal treatment must be discussed with your doctor in advance. Many phyto-collections are prohibited for problems with the digestive tract.
Treating small patients
Specific therapy for small patients has not been developed. Treatment involves dieting and monitoring the amount of fluid drunk / removed from the body. Changing the diet is based on the same principles as for adult patients. Additionally, children are prescribed vitamin complexes. With significant deviations in the analyzes and the ineffectiveness of diet therapy, they resort to metabolic medications.
Prognosis for recovery and consequences
Urexial diathesis in women and men responds well to treatment based on diet therapy. If the patient is in no hurry to seek medical help or ignores the doctor’s recommendations, the likelihood of developing complications is high. The most common among them is the transformation of salts into calculi, their displacement into the ureter, followed by blockage of the passages. In this case, the therapy already implies surgery.