Uric Acid Test Price in Pakistan: PKR 560 at Marham Lab

A uric acid test measures how much uric acid is in your blood. Uric acid is a normal waste product your body makes when it breaks down purines, chemicals that come from your own cells as they die and from certain foods and drinks.

Normally it dissolves in your blood, your kidneys filter it out, and it leaves in your urine. MedlinePlus explains that when your body makes too much or your kidneys do not remove enough, it builds up and can form needle shaped crystals in and around your joints. That is gout.

Reference ranges differ between laboratories, between testing methods and between men and women, so read the range printed on your own report rather than comparing against a number found online.

This is the most common misreading of this test, and it is worth being plain about.

MedlinePlus states that not everyone with high uric acid will develop gout, kidney stones or kidney failure, and that many people have high levels without having any health problems at all. A raised number is a risk signal, not a diagnosis.

Gout is usually confirmed by looking at fluid drawn from the affected joint, not by the blood level alone. Your doctor reads this result alongside your symptoms, your kidney function and your history.

Gout symptoms usually hit one joint at a time. The big toe is the most commonly affected, though other toes, the ankles or the knees can be involved. MedlinePlus lists the signs as intense pain, swelling, redness or warmth around the joint, and limited movement.

You may also need this test if you:

• Are having cancer treatment, since some therapies raise uric acid as they break down tumour cells
• Have a cancer that destroys cells quickly, such as leukaemia
• Have metabolic syndrome, which raises the chance of a high level
• Take a diuretic, a medicine that helps your body clear extra fluid and salt
• Have had kidney stones before, or symptoms of one now

• No fasting is needed for a uric acid blood test
• Tell your doctor about every medicine you take. MedlinePlus notes that many medicines including aspirin can change your uric acid level, and so can niacin, which is vitamin B3
• Do not stop any medicine before the test without asking your doctor first
• Mention any recent alcohol, since it raises the level
• If you have had a gout attack in the last few days, tell your doctor, because levels can read lower during an attack

• A trained phlebotomist draws a small blood sample from a vein in your arm
• The draw takes under a minute
• You may feel a brief sting and see a small bruise afterwards
• You can eat and drink normally before and after
• Your Marham Lab report is ready the same day and reaches you online