<< Go back to blog

Symptoms and Solutions for Crystals in Urine

Jumping isn’t something you do every day, but there are plenty of times when getting airborne is necessary. That can be true for a hooper who’s got a clear lane to the basket, and you wouldn’t get very far skipping rope with your feet on the ground. As easy as it for us to jump, most don’t know how essential toes are when it comes to being able to jump. Even walking or running would be really difficult if we didn’t have them. Your big toe is where the pain of gout commonly introduces itself, and crystals in urine can be a sign that’s not far off. Colcrys is an effective gout treatment medication.

Crystals in urine mean problems with kidney function most of the time, although it can be because of a urinary tract infection or chronic dehydration because water supply is required so that composites in the urine become more condensed. Drinking enough water every day is important for all sorts of body functions and it is important for waste removal so that the body is able to detoxify itself. Skin is an important part of the system too and dehydration can negatively affect the skin to the point that other parts of the body’s waste elimination need to pick up the slack. So drinking more water is generally good advice.

If we’re going to talk about gout then it will lead to a question of what is uric acid. Condensed uric acid is what crystals in urine are made of, and when there is a sufficient amount of them that’s when developing gout becomes a possibility. And getting back to toes, the reason that is where the pain of gout occurs is because uric acid is very temperature sensitive and the colder the better if it’s going to start condensing into crystals. The feet and toes are as far away as possible from the heart, and so other joints in the body don’t get gout as easily simply because warmer due to being closer to the heart.

This makes the connection that good heart health is also important for keeping your body’s fingers and toes less susceptible to getting gout, and even if you’re still aware of crystals in urine. We’ll look at gout in more detail here, as well as gout treatment medications and how long does gout last.

More Of a Guy’s Thing

Men get gout more often than women, and while there are some biological explanations for that a lot of it has to do with diet and lifestyle choices. We have our answer to what is uric acid, but the factor behind too much uric acid in the body is purines – a type of rich protein that is found in certain foods, beer and red meat most notably. Eating foods that are high in purines are even more likely to cause crystals in urine and gout if they are eaten along with oxalate-rich foods - chocolate, beets, berries, peanuts, spinach, and sweet potatoes being examples.

Gout can affect people differently, and some will get it worse than others. But one thing is for sure and that is you won’t find someone with gout bounding up the stairs instead of taking the escalator. It really does make every step painful, and putting real pressure on the toes with running or jumping is going to be entirely out of the question. Colcrys is pretty much the standard go-to medicine for treating gout because it suppresses the inflammatory response with real effectiveness, but it’s also good to make changes to your diet so uric acid buildup doesn’t lead to crystals in urine as easily.

Back to Normal?

There’s nothing to like about overly tender toes, so sufferers will be inclined to ask how long does gout last? That depends on the individual, but most people who make the needed diet changes and begin taking a gout treatment medication should be having less pain and stiffness in their joints within 3 weeks to 1 month. It does take time for Colcrys to work and if patients continue to consume food and drinks that cause gout then it’s responsiveness will be much less positive.

Cherry juice is known to be helpful for treating gout too, and so drinking a couple of glasses a day will be beneficial as you go through the time required to overcome gout. Other good choices are:

• Applying ice to affected joints to reduce swelling
• Elevating the affected joint so that it is above the heart
• Try to sleep as well as possible
• Stay well hydrated by drinking more water during the day
• Consume less alcohol, or abstain it from entirely while using gout treatment medication

Following these guidelines can make it much less likely you develop crystals in urine and have that be an indicator that you may get gout. All of the diet and lifestyle changes that prevent gout will have other health benefits too, so it’s a good idea to go ahead with them.

<< Go back to blog