What is uric acid?

Uric acid is a waste product found in your blood. Your body creates it when it breaks down substances called purines. Purines are common in foods like meat and certain alcoholic drinks, such as beer and liquor.

Most uric acid dissolves in your blood and is then filtered out by your kidneys, leaving your body when you pee. However, uric acid stones form when:

• The amount of uric acid in your pee is too high.
• Your pee is consistently too acidic.

What are the symptoms of uric acid stones?

Uric acid stones shows symptoms with other kidney stones. The most common sign is intense pain caused by the stone irritating or blocking your kidneys or urinary tract. You might feel this pain in your:

• Lower back.
• Sides (flanks).
• Belly (abdomen).
• Groin.

Other symptoms include:

• Blood in your pee.
• Feeling sick (nausea) or actually throwing up (vomiting).
• Fever.
• Cold.
• Pee that smells bad.
• Cloudy pee.

How are uric acid stones formed?

If you have a high level of uric acid in your body, known as hyperuricemia, uric acid crystals start to form. These crystals mix with other compounds in your body and create a hard, solid stone. The stone keeps growing. It can stay in your kidney or travel down your urinary tract into the tube called the ureter.

If the stones are tiny, they might pass out when you pee with little or no pain. But if they don't pass, they cause pee to back up in your kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. This backup and the stone scraping the tube walls cause the pain and other symptoms you feel.

What is the most common cause of uric acid stones?

The most frequent reasons for your pee being too acidic are:

• Trouble processing uric acid or protein in your food: If your body struggles to metabolize uric acid or protein, acid builds up in your urine. This issue can often be passed down from your biological parents. A related problem is gout, which increases uric acid in your blood and causes painful crystal formation in your joints.
• Foods high in purines: Animal proteins, such as beef, poultry, pork, eggs, and fish, are high in purines. Organ meats, like liver and kidneys, contain the most. Eating large amounts of animal proteins can cause uric acid to build up in your urine. It might settle and form a stone, sometimes combined with calcium. Usually, your diet alone isn't the sole cause; these stones typically form in people who eat lots of purines and are already susceptible to them.

Other reasons for high uric acid include:

• Having a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25 (being overweight or obese).
• Taking certain drugs and supplements, such as diuretics (water pills) and immunosuppressants.
• Chemotherapy treatment.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Eating lots of salt and sugar.
• Having a family history of kidney stones.
• Not being physically active enough.
• Having weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery).
• You are much more likely to develop uric acid and other kidney stones if you don't drink enough water.

Who do uric acid stones affect?

Men are most likely to get any type of kidney stone, with a lifetime risk of about 19%. The risk is around 9% for women. It's rare for most people to get kidney stones before age 30, but it can happen at a young age, even in children.

What are the complications of uric acid stones?

Any type of kidney stone increases your risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). If you have had one stone, you have a higher risk of getting another one within the next five to seven years.

How are uric acid stones diagnosed?

A doctor will review your medical history, ask about your symptoms, and perform a physical exam. If they suspect you have a uric acid stone, they will order diagnostic tests.

What tests are done to diagnose uric acid stones?

A doctor may order the following tests:

• Blood tests: These can check for too much uric acid or calcium in your blood. They can also help rule out other conditions causing your symptoms.
• Urine test (urinalysis): Your doctor might ask you to do a 24-hour urinalysis, where you collect all your pee for a full day. The sample is then tested for uric acid and calcium levels.
• Imaging tests: A CT scan or an ultrasound can find uric acid stones in your urinary tract, even small ones. Doctors usually don't use abdominal X-rays because they can miss smaller stones.
• Stone analysis: You might be asked to pee into a special strainer to catch any stones you pass. The stone is sent to a lab to find out what it's made of. This analysis helps your doctor determine the cause and how to prevent future stones.

How are you treated for uric acid stones?

Small stones (less than 7 millimetres wide) may pass on their own. This can take three weeks or more. Even if the stone passes by itself, it is still crucial to see a doctor to plan how to prevent future uric acid stones.

The most important treatment is to drink plenty of water. Drinking lots of fluids:

• Lowers mineral levels in your urine, which helps break up the minerals so they can pass out.
• Makes you pee often, which washes out minerals that could form stones.

Doctors suggest you drink enough fluids to produce about 2.5 litres of urine daily. To do this, you need to consume about 3 litres of fluid every day because you lose some through sweat and other bodily functions. While any fluid helps, water is the best choice.

What medicine dissolves uric acid stones?

Uric acid stones are the only type of kidney stone that medicine has a chance of dissolving. These medications include:

• Potassium citrate tablets (Urocit-K®).
• Calcium carbonate tablets (Tums®).
• Allopurinol.

Potassium citrate or calcium carbonate tablets make your urine less acidic and more alkaline. Allopurinol lowers the levels of uric acid in your body. If you are prescribed these medicines, you still need to drink lots of water. More water makes it easier for the uric acid to dissolve. Your doctor may also prescribe alpha-blockers to help stones in your ureter pass more quickly.

Will I need surgery for uric acid stones?

You may need surgery if your uric acid stone:

• Is very large.
• Completely blocks your pee flow.
• Causes an infection.
• Doesn't pass after four to six weeks.

Surgical options use minimally invasive or noninvasive methods, such as:

• Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL): This noninvasive procedure uses high-energy sound waves to break up the stones from outside your body. There is no cut (incision), and nothing enters your body.
• Ureteroscopy: A doctor sends a long, thin tube (endoscope) through your urethra into your ureter. They can then remove the stone with a small basket or shatter it with a laser before taking out the tiny pieces.
• Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL): This is used for bigger stones. The surgeon makes a small cut in your back to reach your kidney. They remove the stone directly or crush it first and then take it out.

The stone or fragments will be sent for testing after the procedure.

What will happen if I have uric acid stones?

The outlook for uric acid stones and other kidney stones is usually very good. Stones often pass on their own, and you might not even need treatment. If you do need treatment, the options have high success rates, and you will most likely make a full recovery.

However, there is a chance that uric acid stones will return. Talk to your doctor about changes to your diet and other steps you can take to prevent them from coming back.

How does drinking water reduce the risk of uric acid stones?

Drinking the recommended daily amount of water is one of the best things you can do to prevent uric acid and other kidney stones. Fluids dilute the waste products in your pee and flush away chemicals so stones cannot form.

What are some other ways I can prevent uric acid stones?

Other ways to prevent uric acid stones include:

• Drinking at least 2.7 to 3.7 litres of fluids per day, with water being the best choice.
• Maintaining a healthy weight for your body.
• Eating a diet like the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, which can lower both high blood pressure and the chance of developing kidney stones.
• Taking any medicine your doctor prescribes to prevent uric acid stones from forming.

How do I take care of myself?

If you've had uric acid stones or are at high risk, you can stay healthy by:

• Staying hydrated (drinking enough water).
• Eating a healthy diet.
• Taking any medications or supplements your doctor recommends.
• Calling your doctor if you have sharp pain or other worrying symptoms.

What should you not eat if you have uric acid stones?

It's important to reduce or avoid high-purine foods. Too much purine makes your body create more uric acid, which makes your pee more acidic and encourages uric acid stones to form.

Examples of foods high in purines are:

• Red meats.
• Organ meats (like liver).
• Beer and other alcohol.
• Meat gravies.
• Sardines, anchovies, and shellfish.

Reducing foods high in sugar, especially those with high-fructose corn syrup, is also helpful.

It's a good idea to eat more:

• Fruits and vegetables.
• Whole grains.
• Low-fat dairy foods.

When should I see a doctor?

Call a doctor or visit the emergency room (ER) if you think you have a uric acid stone and experience any of the following symptoms:

• A fever over 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit (38.6 degrees Celsius).
• A burning or stinging pain when you pee.
• Severe pain.
• Blood in your urine.
• Nausea and vomiting that won't stop.
• A condition that puts you at greater risk for kidney stone complications, such as diabetes, having only one kidney, or any other kidney problems.

What do I need to ask a doctor?

• What treatment plan will work best for me?
• Do I need surgery?
• How can I stop myself from getting another uric acid stone?
• Should I change anything about what I eat?
• Do I need to take any supplements or medications?

Why choose Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Uric Acid Stones Treatment in Lucknow, India?

Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital is one of the best hospital for Uric Acid Stone treatment in Lucknow, India. Our team of highly experienced urologists combines decades of expertise with the latest diagnostic technology to deliver precise and effective care. We maintain international standards of infection control to ensure patient safety at every step. At Tender Palm Hospital, we focus on personalized and minimally invasive treatment options that promote faster recovery and long-term relief. With transparent pricing and affordable packages, we make high-quality urology care accessible to every patient.

To seek an Expert Consultation for Uric Acid Stones Treatment in Lucknow, India:

Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com

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