Do I need to fast for gout examination

With the continuous improvement of the quality of life, the incidence of gout has been increasing in recent years, especially among middle-aged and elderly people. Gout has become a very common disease. People with gout will experience joint pain when the disease occurs. This is a metabolic disease. If you want to reduce the onset of gout, try to eat less high-purine foods in your daily diet and maintain good living habits.

Is fasting required for gout testing?

It is best for gout patients to go to the hospital on an empty stomach when they first visit the doctor, because during the first visit, there may be more examination items. On the one hand, the diagnosis of gout must be clarified, and on the other hand, some related examinations must be performed to rule out the possibility of other arthritis.

For example, patients need to test routine blood tests, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, liver function, kidney function, blood lipids, as well as color Doppler ultrasound of the kidneys and joints, etc. Eating will have a certain impact on the values ​​of blood lipids and blood uric acid. It is particularly noteworthy that patients should eat a light diet and avoid high-purine diet three to five days before going to the hospital for examination, so as not to affect the test results.

After the patient is examined, if the diagnosis of gout is confirmed, early treatment should be started to avoid gout causing damage to other organs.

Symptoms of gout

1. Asymptomatic period

As the name suggests, at this stage, patients have almost no physical discomfort, and the only indicator that can determine that they have gout is a persistent or fluctuating increase in uric acid levels in the blood.

2. Acute arthritis stage

Patients are often awakened in the middle of the night by symptoms of redness, swelling, heat and pain in their toes, ankles, knees, wrists, knuckles, elbows, etc. And patients will find that the normal function of these joints is significantly impaired. When you measure your body temperature, you will find that it is higher than usual.

3. Gout and chronic arthritis

The affected joints will appear swollen, stiff, and deformed, like stones, asymmetrical, and of inconsistent size. It is often seen in places such as ear contours, toes, and between fingers.

4. Kidney disease

More than 90% of gout patients have kidney disease, which manifests as occasional proteinuria in the early stage. As the disease worsens, it will turn into persistent proteinuria, and the number of times they need to get up at night will increase. If it continues to develop, it will lead to renal insufficiency and even death from renal failure. About 20% of gout patients will develop uric acid urinary stones. If not treated promptly, repeated damage caused by stones may lead to infection, nephritis and further damage to the kidneys.