When there are high levels of uric acid present in your blood, this can often mean that you are at a higher risk of suffering from gout. You can detect the level of uric acid in your blood at home, without the need for a visit to your GP, utilising a home uric acid tester that takes a reading based on your blood. In this guide we will aim to provide you with a run down of some of the more popular uric home testing kits and monitors on the market today, assisting you in choosing the right kit for you.
Gout is a condition that causes bouts of severe pain and swelling, it is a type of arthritis, and mainly affects men over the age of 40, and women who have gone through the menopause. At least one to two out of every 100 people in the UK are affected by gout in some way, which means Uric acid tester kits are a popular way for people to measure their own uric acid levels with the aim to reduce the chance of flares. Being able to test yourself at home for high levels of uric acid goes a great way to helping you understand your gout flares when they occur.
Benefits of a Uric Acid Home Test
There are a number of instances when it would be advised that you take a uric acid test. This would include if you have joint pain or swelling, you are undergoing chemotherapy or are about to start it, you have been diagnosed with gout in the past and need to keep a check on it or you frequently suffer from kidney stones.
Uric acid home testers are mainly blood based, asking for a prick on your finger and a drop of blood in order to test the levels of uric acid. Occasionally your doctor will ask for a urine test over a 24-hour period, but the majority of these types of urine tests will be conducted at your GP and not using at-home tests that you can purchase.
The test is used in most instances to:
- Diagnose gout
- Monitor gout
- Monitor people undergoing radiation or chemotherapy
- Diagnose kidney disorders
- Find a cause for those suffering with kidney stones
- Monitor kidney functions after an illness or injury
Normal levels of uric acid are 3-7.2 mg/dl for men and 2-6mg.dl for women. Many of the home testers include strips for you to place a drop of blood onto, with results easy to read within a fast time frame. Some are multi-functional and can be used to test not only uric acid levels but also cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
6 Best Uric Acid Home Tester Review Section
- EasySure Multi-Function Monitoring System (with PC Link)
5*****
This multi-function home tester kit is used to monitor uric acid levels, blood glucose and cholesterol and is simple and straightforward to use. All you have to do is take a test strip, add a drop of blood and the result is displayed on the screen very quickly. For Glucose levels it takes just 10 seconds, uric acid only 20 seconds, and for cholesterol 150 seconds. The testing strips can only be used with the monitor that this EasySure kit comes with, but there is a cable included to connect the monitor to a computer, allowing you to utilise software from actionhealth.co.uk to store and monitor results over time. The monitor itself can hold 50 results for uric acid. EasySure uric acid home testers are easy to use, come with simple to follow instructions and are ready to be used straight away after purchase. A great way to monitor your uric acid levels at home for a relatively inexpensive price compared with others on the market.
You can read more reviews and details about this kit on Amazon Here: EasySure Cholesterol, Blood Glucose and Uric Acid Multi-Function Monitoring System with PC link
- UASure Uric Acid Gout Monitoring Starter Kit
4****
This gout monitoring starter kit from UASure is a little bit more expensive than the EasySure model but it fits the bill as a robust and consistent self-monitoring product to be used safely at home. The meter is easy to follow to read results, either for healthcare professionals or normal people at home and comes with 25 strips to be used to test your blood for high levels of uric acid. On the marketplace this uric acid home tester was the first to be a hand-held device for self-monitoring and is very simple to use. The monitor shows consistent and accurate readings of uric acid levels for the majority of users, though some have indicated inconsistency between tests, when compared with separate tests carried out by their GP. The only drawback is the fact that for the average person it might take some getting used to before you are fully confident in using the kit. Adding to this that it is slightly more expensive when compared to some other home uric acid monitors is the only reason we have marked this down to 4 stars.
You can read more reviews and details about this kit on Amazon Here
- BeneCheck Plus Monitor
5*****
The Benecheck plus monitor was primarily designed to test cholesterol levels but you can also use it to check on glucose and uric acid levels. The monitor is NHS approved and gives a reading based on a tiny drop of blood. The test strips are the lowest priced on the market and the monitor has a long battery life attached to it. Results can be obtained within 30 seconds for cholesterol, much faster than other home test kits. The menu system is easy to navigate and results are accurate. Users have indicated that the home kit is easy to set up and use on a daily basis, with the amount of blood required to give an accurate test lower than with other meters on the market. With this in mind it really is a painless and speedy service.
Easy Touch Monitoring System 3 in 1
4****
This 3 in 1 tester allows you to use one device to test and monitor your uric acid levels, as well as your glucose and cholesterol and can be used easily and effectively on a daily basis. Test results appear on the monitor very quickly, 6 seconds each for glucose and uric acid levels and 150 seconds for cholesterol. The Easy Touch system comes with 10 test strips to be used for uric acid and this easy to use monitor provides you with results to let you know whether a visit to your GP is required. This monitor is an extremely convenient way to keep on top of your health and maintain a record of your uric acid levels should you suffer from gout. Some users have witnessed inaccurate readings and found that it is difficult to get the blood into the reader on the monitor itself, but for a 3 in 1 home test kit it is good value for money.
You can read more reviews and details about this kit on Amazon Here
- Easilife 3 in 1 Test Digital Meter System
4**
The 3 in 1 digital test meter from Easilife offers you the chance to test your uric acid, glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood with ease. This starter pack includes some tester strips for each type of test and holds between 50-200 tests in its memory. The digital display is easy to use and you can switch between different scales depending on the test taken. Compared to other uric acid tester kits this product doesn’t come with as many tester strips as users would like, only 5 in this case, and the strips to be used for this machine are of a higher cost than some others on the market place. An easy to use device, but not as handy as others you can find on the market.
- Nesco NW-01 Multicheck Test Kit
3***
The multi-check test kit from Nesco allows you to test your cholesterol, glucose and uric acid levels in your blood. The results are extremely quick with glucose results displaying on the meter within 6 seconds, uric acid in 10 seconds and cholesterol results being displayed in 150 seconds. The meter does take some getting used to, but once you have worked out the best way to drop blood on to a strip (we would always advise using a pipette and taking the second drop of blood as the test sample), you will find accurate and consistent readings. It might not be as straightforward as some of the other home tester meters you’ll find though and might take a little bit of persistence to get right. Following the instructions methodically and carefully, and having a few practices will ease you into the routine of utilising the Nesco home tester kit however. The meter can hold up to 300 test results in total between the three types of test, so it has good memory capabilities to follow your progress.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of home uric acid tester kits on the marketplace today. The majority are multi-functional, letting you test not only your uric acid levels but also cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels. Strips can be bought for each type of test and used to test your blood on, and the majority come with easy to read digital monitors for fast and accurate displays.
Only one of the products listed is solely used for uric acid tests, the UASure tester. This is a little more expensive than some of the other products and some people find it more difficult to get the hang of, but it is robust, provides fast and accurate results and will provide a good job for the long-term. If you would like to decrease the cost with a product that offers the multi-function of various tests, at a lower cost and with easier to read instruments you would be better off choosing the BeneCheck Plus monitor or the EasySure Monitoring System, the latter coming with a cable for you to utilise your computer and store and analyse results there. We would recommend this type of system, with digital monitors, as they do provide you with an accurate record of your results, allowing you to keep track of your progress and be able to give your GP the most accurate readings over time when you visit them. They are also quick to use, with results being displayed in seconds in most cases. This can be crucial when documenting an illness and discovering the reasons why your levels are higher than usual and how to lower them.
We would like to point out that all of these home tester kits for uric acid are for monitoring purposes only, and we would always advise that should you feel a reading has provided you with cause to visit your GP, you do so as soon as possible. Treatment for high uric acid levels is better when performed early on, giving you a better chance to combat conditions such as gout.
If you do find that your Uric acid levels are high, we recommend using an effective natural gout supplement like Uriciplex to help reduce uric acid levels and stop gout flares.
