UNAIR NEWS – Many people complain about throbbing pain in their articulation of bones or muscles. Some translated it into uric acid arthritis, the others believe it to be rheumatic. Instead of going to the doctor, people tend to take traditional medicine. Well, it’s not forbidden, of course. However, what if the medication turns out to be a failure?

Rheumatology expert from RSUD Dr. Soetomo – Faculty of Medicine UNAIR Joewono Soeroso, MD., Msc., Ph.D. revealed people were often inaccurate in differentiating uric acid arthritis from rheumatic. While in fact, uric acid arthritis was one of hundreds of rheumatic types with various symptoms. This was quite alarming, since many people couldn’t differentiate rheumatic symptoms from uric acid arthritis.

“People often judge that whenever they feel sharp pains especially in their articulation of bones it must be uric acid arthritis or rheumatic, then they take traditional medicine to reduce pain. This is not right, and needs to be made right,” he stated.

Anti-rheumatic medicine usually consists of Fenilbutazon which tends to ruin body strength. While uric acid arthritis usually consists of Dexametason which might ruin kidneys. Both chemical substance have the potential to damage health when consumed more than allowed and continuously.

“Some sharp-pain medicine and rheumatic are sold freely out there. If one consumes it at will, one might suffer from nephrotoxic – damaged kidneys. Meanwhile piroxicam medicine and traditional medicine might trigger kidneys and stomach damage,” he explained.

Then what is the difference between uric acid arthritis and rheumatic? Actually uric acid content in our body is the result of purin metabolism process. It looks like sharp crystals.

Purin is one of nucleic acid which is present in every nucleus. Normal uric acid arthritis level in men and women is different. Normal uric acid arthritis level in men is around 3.5 – 7 mg/dl, while in women 2.6 – 6 mg/dl.

Our body produced its own purin. Apart being built-in in our own body, purin can also be found in vegetables, legumes, meat, and giblets. It means what food one consumes also affect the level of uric acid arthritis in the blood. Food high in purin will be turned into uric acid.

Therefore, Joewono stressed, it was mandatory that uric acid patients avoid purin-rich food such as giblets, shrimps, squid, shells, crabs, and small fry to keep their uric acid stable.

When uric acid level rockets above normal, sharp crystal piles up around the articulation of bones, like toes, heels, wrists, fingers and elbows. This is the classic sign of uric acid, where patients suffer from podagra or painful swell in someone’s big toe that the toe stiffens.

Joewono emphasized the importance of boosting carefulness by paying attention to healthy dietary habits. Healthy dietary habits should be applied from the age of 20 until 40 years.

“The older we get, the more uric acid there are in our body. Men’s uric acid level tend to increase the older they get. In women, uric acid increase start when they enter menopause period because their estrogen hormone decreases,” he explained.

Apart from looking after dietary habits, Joewono also suggested that patients avoid heavy activities which cause stress, tiredness, and lack of sleep. In such conditions, uric acid tend to recur.

Laboratory uric acid level check-up generally consists of two stages, Enzymatic and General Technique. Normal uric acid according to Enzymatic test is 7 mg/dl maximum. When using general technique, the maximum normal level is 8 mg/dl.

When the check-up result shows that the uric acid level is above the normal standard, then the patient probably suffers from hyperuricemia. Treatment includes Allopurinol, zilogic consumed for life.

Meanwhile rheumatic early symptoms generally take forms of stiffness, sharp pain and even stiffness around the articulation of bones, like knees, elbows, tarsus or wrist, knuckles, and also waist.

Acute rheumatic might trigger inflammation. This causes movement interference and muscles weakening. An examples of this is morning-stiffness.

In Indonesia, people usually suffer from these four rheumatic syndrome: Osteoarthritis or rheumatic caused by narrowing blood vessels, extra articular arthritis – rheumatic which affects tissues outside cartilage, uric acid arthritis – joint inflammation rheumatic caused by too much uric acid in one’s body and osteoporosis rheumatic.

Author: Sefya Hayu

Editor: Nuri Hermawan