What are Urate Crystals?
Urate crystals are sharp crystalline structures that build up as a result of too much uric acid in the body, a condition called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia is a hallmark of conditions like gout, where the kidneys may show an inability to adequately dispose of uric acid. This can lead to deposits or urate crystals in the joints, which can in turn cause severe joint pain and inflammation. Another way in which many people first learn about urate crystals is when they are first time parents. Newborns and young infants may have wet diapers that appear either orange or pink-tinged. This can be a frightening thing for new parents, because it looks very much as though the child may be bleeding or have blood in his or her urine. Actually, urate crystals, which may most often occur in the first few weeks of life, tend to be relatively common. They usually, especially if you only notice them once or twice, are nothing more than the infant passing highly concentrated urine. Urate crystals don’t h
