Is your uric acid high?

Know the causes of hyperuricemia and gout

- HEALTHY EVER AFTER CHESHIRE QUE, RND, RN, RD

Gout comes in stages. It begins with no symptoms but with above normal range in blood uric acid, known as hyperuricemia. A simple blood test can be done to evaluate one’s uric acid level. Left unmanaged, hyperuricemia will lead to flareups that can last for a week or two. Chronic, uncontrolled hyperuricemia can lead to the formation of kidney stones or permanently damage skin, joints, and other areas of the body when tophi formation develops. This is a nodule composed of uric acid crystals that form under the skin in the later stages of gout, causing deformity.