High Uric Acid: Symptoms, Diet and Homeopathic Support

What is high uric acid?

Uric acid is a waste product formed when the body breaks down substances called purines, found in some foods and in our own cells. Normally the kidneys remove it. When levels stay high, crystals can form in joints (gout) or in the kidneys (stones).

Symptoms to look for

• Sudden, severe pain, redness and swelling in a joint — often the big toe, ankle or knee — frequently at night
• Repeated joint pain that comes and goes
• Lumps under the skin near joints in long-standing cases
• Kidney stone pain, or many people have no symptoms and find it on a blood test

What raises uric acid

• Red meat, organ meats and shellfish
• Alcohol, especially beer, and sugary drinks
• Being overweight, and crash dieting
• Too little water, some medicines, and reduced kidney function
• Family tendency

Diet and habits that help

• Drink plenty of water through the day
• Limit red meat, organ meats, shellfish and alcohol
• Eat more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and low-fat dairy
• Keep a healthy weight, and lose it gradually rather than by crash dieting
• Get uric acid rechecked as your doctor advises

Where homeopathic care fits in

Homeopathic treatment is chosen for you as an individual after a detailed history and is used to support control of the tendency to high uric acid and the joint pain that comes with it. It works best together with the diet and hydration above and regular blood tests. No treatment can promise a permanent cure. See high uric acid treatment.

When to see a doctor promptly

Seek prompt care for a very painful, hot, swollen joint (especially with fever), for severe side or back pain with vomiting, or blood in the urine. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.