Among all the ways to diagnose gout, there are three different types of tests for measuring uric acid levels, and each serves a different purpose:

  1. Blood tests measure the amount of uric acid in the bloodstream.
  2. Urine tests measure the amount of uric acid in the urine.
  3. Synovial fluid tests look for uric acid crystals in the fluid of a  joint.

Uric Acid Blood Testing

Blood testing is the most common way to measure uric acid levels. It can be done in a laboratory or at home, requiring only a small amount of blood obtained through a relatively painless procedure.

Laboratory testing gives more reliable results than home testing, but home testing can frequently be used to monitor the progress of your gout-killing efforts.

Uric Acid Urine Testing

Kidneys filter uric acid out of the bloodstream and dispose of it through the urine. If the kidneys are unable to do this well, uric acid accumulates in the blood leading to elevated blood uric acid levels.

  • Uric acid urine testing is a secondary test, used in addition to the primary blood testing. The urine test helps your doctor to evaluate whether your kidneys are excreting enough uric acid.
  • The uric acid urine test is a simple process. You will be asked to collect all of your urine over a 24-hour period in a storage jug provided by the lab. When complete, return the jug to the laboratory for analysis.

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Bert-

I drink at least half my body weight in water per day. It’s filtered, I do also drink alkaline water if I remember to pick it up. Along with other things I drink water all day. After I first started your program I was thinking I need to drink more fruit juice and then I realized that I was still taking in too much sugar. So now I just eat fruit and occasionally have some cherry juice. I’ve been gout free since I started and that alone is a reason to stay on your alkaline diet. It’s amazing how many things you normally eat that have acid in them, The trick is to get a list and just remember the ones that are high in acid and after awhile it becomes second nature. You’ve had numerous things that come up like your shaving cream hint, it goes right into your blood stream. And why not? Bert The Gout Killer, I am a living testament to that. Not to mention your diet is very good for you.

Thanks!
Jeff

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Synovial Fluid Testing

The pain of a gout attack comes from the crystallized uric acid lodged inside the joint, not from the liquid uric acid floating in the blood.

  • To confirm a diagnosis of gout, the doctor may look for uric acid crystals in the fluid inside the affected joint, which is called synovial fluid.
  • To do this, the doctor inserts a needle into the joint, extracts some fluid, and analyzes it under a microscope. This test helps rule out conditions that mimic gout, like pseudogout and rheumatoid arthritis.

Bottom Line:  A number of disease conditions can mimic gout, so the only way to know for sure if gout is the cause of your pain is through one or more uric acid tests done by a doctor. Have your uric acid tested, so that you can be sure of what you are dealing with!

Click here to learn more about meters for testing uric acid…