As you probably already know, uric acid crystals in the joints cause the horrible symptoms of gout. But did you know that recurring gout can cause permanent joint damage? And did you know that crystals can also form in the kidneys where they can eventually ‘clump’ together to form painful kidney stones?
So what can you do to prevent this happening to you?
First, let us look at how these crystals are formed in the first place…
Urate Crystals
Crystals of urate can form when you have high uric acid levels in your blood. They usually don’t when your levels are normal because your kidneys process and flush excess acid out of your body.
But if your kidneys aren’t working to their full potential, or your body is over-producing uric acid, then you are left with excess in your bloodstream that, over time, can form into crystals in your joints and kidneys.
Medical tests can pinpoint which of the two scenarios above could be the underlying problem. For example, if they show that you have high acid levels in your blood but low levels in your urine, this could indicate that your kidneys aren’t working efficiently.
If, on the other hand, the tests show high levels in your blood and high levels in your urine as well, then this could indicate that your kidneys are fine but that the body is producing too much acid for your kidneys to cope with.
Either way, your body has too much acid which then forms crystals in your joints, causing gout and possible long-term joint damage. But then, crystals can also be deposited in your kidneys where they clump together to form stones.
Doctor Charles Drew Medical Blog 