My uric acid is high. Do I have gout?
High uric acid does not automatically mean gout. Most people with high uric acid never develop it. A hot swollen joint is what makes the diagnosis. Classically that is the big toe at 2 am, red and exquisitely tender.
The number still carries messages: it tracks with kidney stones, blood pressure and metabolic health. Beer, sugary drinks, organ meats and crash dieting push it up; coffee, dairy and weight loss ease it down.
High level plus attacks earns long-term treatment that really prevents recurrences. High level alone usually earns lifestyle attention and observation, decided with your doctor.
Source: NHS, gout
See a doctor promptly if
- Hemoglobin well below the normal range with breathlessness, chest pain, or dizziness on standing
- Potassium below 3.0 mmol/L or above 6.0 mmol/L. This needs same-day contact, not a routine appointment
- A sudden large rise in creatinine, or a new drop in eGFR, especially with reduced urine output
- Liver enzymes several times the upper limit with yellow eyes, dark urine, pale stools, or right upper abdominal pain
- Platelets under 50 x10^9/L, or a very high or very low white cell count with fever
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
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