Remedies for Gout Relief
There is no cure for gout, but it can be controlled and treated. Usually, the pain associated with gout will subside within 24 hours after treatment has begun. The main objectives of treatment are pain relieving and prevent future attacks of gout.
Although gout is well known, it is not a typical arthritic condition. Gout is caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in joints, causing joint pain and inflammation.
Colchicine is a traditional drug used since the 1800′s as a treatment for gout. Although Colhicine produces desirable results, it does have side effects of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are also used to treat gout, which does not have the side effects of colhicine. Indomethacin is a widely used NSAID in the treatment of gout. Patients should avoid Aspirin and aspirin-containing products during the attack of gout.
Those people who have had multiple attacks or developed tophi or kidney stones should stabilize uric acid level in the blood. Probenecid is an important drug, which helps the kidney, eliminate uric acid. Another drug called Alopurinol is used to block the excess production of uric acid by the body. The drug of choice between these types of drugs depends upon the quantity of uric acid excreted through urine.
Zyloprim, is a potent treatment for gout, and is usually prescribe for gout patients with kidney stones or other kidney problems. This drug slows down the rate of production of uric acid by the body. The patients who took this drug showed side effects such as skin rashes and stomach upset. Both of these symptoms usually go away as the body began accustomed to the drug.
As we know, prevention is better than treatment; avoiding the intake of food high in uric acid can readily prevent the occurrence of gout. Reducing alcohol consumption is also often helpful.
Alcoholic beverages should not exceed 3 ounces per day. Reduce or eliminate the purine-containing foods such as organ meats (sweet breads, liver, and kidneys), shrimp, sardines, dried legumes, and anchovies.
There are many natural products available in the market. Incorporate flax seed or omega 3 oil into your diet to help reduce inflammation and tissue damage. Burdock root can help rid the body of acidic waste build up and help supports normal uric acid levels in the body.
If you suffer from gout, see your doctor and discuss a pain relief program and a correct diet to reduce gout occurrences. With correct treatment and diet, gout outbreaks can be well controlled.
If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Do You Have the Gout Gene?
The Stabbing Pain in Your Joints could be Genetic -
but You Can Knock it Out Once and for All
The pain keeps you up at night. Or worse – it wakes
you from a restful, sound sleep.
It’s gout. And Johns Hopkins University Scientists
have exposed a gene that some people just… carry…
Good news is you don’t have to suffer just because
you’re genetically “supposed to.”
Click Here to get an all natural, drug-free (better yet surgery-free) remedy for your gout symptoms.
Even if you have the Gout Gene, you can learn to live
with it – without pain – and sleep like a baby every
night starting tonight. Click Here.
Gout Diet Foods To Eat
Also referred to as “the disease of kings”, the occurrence and development of gout are strongly determined by improper diet which is why Gout Diet Foods To Eat is so important. In the past, the disease predominantly affected nobles and royalty, due to their access to an abundance of foods that are known today to have high risks of causing gout. These days, many people are still confronted with gout, as they consume foods that interfere in the normal activity of the body. Mostly people living in developed societies are the ones who tend to be affected by gout. The consumption of some exotic foods like seafood (oysters, caviar, calamari, sushi) or improper diets that contain a lot of meats (pork, poultry, beef) are the factors that seem to facilitate the occurrence and the development of the disease. Statistics indicate that people who live in less-developed countries have a smaller chance of developing gout. Also, research results reveal the preponderance of obese people among those who are suffering from different forms of gout.
Gout is a type of rheumatoid arthritis that causes pain and inflammation of the joints. The joints of the lower body seem to be affected the most. People with gout experience discomfort, swelling, local irritation and redness, itching sensations, pain, sometimes feeling a sensation of cold around the affected areas, the skin in those regions often looking stretched. Gout can also affect skin and soft tissue such as muscles and tendons, making them less flexible. Gout is known to be caused mainly by the presence in excess of crystallized uric acid deposits inside the body, which are difficultly eliminated by the kidneys. Improper diet can lead to more accumulation of uric acid in the body, as some foods that contain high levels of purine are synthesized by the body into uric acid.
Gout Diet Foods To Eat and a healthy lifestyle are the best means of preventing and easing the symptoms of gout. It is a fact that there is no specific cure for gout and the treatment often prescribed for the disease usually acts by controlling pain attacks and inflammation. There is little that medicines can do for the patients who suffer from gout, especially for those who have chronic forms of the disease. Proper gout diet can both ease the symptoms of gout and prevent injury and complications. It is known to be the best way of handling the effects of the disease.
Proper gout Gout Diet Foods To Eat replaces the foods that are considered to cause gout due to their high levels of purine with healthy, better tolerated foods. Foods that are rich in saturated fats should also be avoided.
The foods that are known to have high levels of purine are meats like pork, beef, lamb, poultry, organ meats (brain, kidneys, liver and heart), fish and seafood (sardines, mackerel, oysters, caviar, calamari and crabs) and fat dairy products such as cheese, milk and butter. Even some vegetables like spinach, beans and peas are known to conatin large amounts of purines. However, green vegetables are thought to have no malign effects to the body. Fruits not only have low levels of purines, (and they are strongly recommended in any gout diet) but they also contain vitamins and minerals that are vital in the proper functioning of the body. Vitamin C, contained by most fruits, is a powerful natural anti-oxidant which helps in easing the symptoms of gout.
Among fruits and green vegetables, a proper gout diet can also contain some meats (chicken and low-fat meats) and low-fat milk. Cereals are also good for gout. A proper gout diet should contain: fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, soy (soy replacements of certain dairy products like milk and cheese are strongly recommended), brown rice, cereals, and bread. Drinking plenty of water (around two liters each day) is also important for easing the symptoms of gout, helping the kidneys to eliminate the surplus of uric acid.
Major Causes Of Gout And How To Avoid Them
The major cause of gout is the accumulation of uric acid in the joints. The uric acid is a chemical that is a natural part of the normal breakdown and build up of food in body tissues. The level of uric acid may be found and measured in the blood.
The condition where there is a rise in blood’s uric acid level is called hyperuricaemia. With the presence of such condition it is no wonder that uric acid crystals are formed in the joints. These crystals are responsible for the inflammation called gouty arthritis or acute gout.
Gout usually attacks people whose uric acid level has always been above normal. There are various reasons why uric acids level increases in the body:
• The higher than normal uric acid levels may be inherited in some families
• Obesity was also found to cause gout attacks
• High alcohol and caffeine intake
• High intake of food containing purine
• Some drugs used to treat high blood pressure and long standing kidney diseases
The first step in treating gout is to correct the factors that increase the levels of uric acid in the body. Patients should also work to refrain from eating purine rich foods since these substances are found to contain a lot of uric acid.
Here are foods high in purines and to be avoided:
• Organ meat products such as liver, kidneys, tripe, sweetbreads and tongue,
• Excessive amounts of red meat, shellfish, fish roe and scallops,
• Peas, lentils and beans,
• Alcohol and caffeine intakes should be reduced. A glass of beer a day or less is recommended
• Crash diets should also be avoided
• Some drugs for high blood pressure may need to be altered or adjusted
An important aspect of treating gout is lowering the uric acid levels. There are some drugs that can bring down the uric acid level in the body. However, it should be noted that these drugs only temporarily treat symptoms of gout and should not be taken on a long-term basis. The dosage is based on the level of uric acid found in the body. Regular check ups are required in order to arrive at the maintenance dosage that will prevent recurrent gout attacks.
As long as the level of uric acid continues to be lower than the normal any symptoms of gout are a remote possibility. Provided of course that medication is continued. Some drugs work by increasing elimination of uric acid through the kidney while others simply hinder the formation of uric acid in the first place.
Likewise, it is important for patients using medications to realize that during the first few months of treatment, it is still possible to have gout attacks, however severe gouty attacks are lessened.
Some of the complications of long time and acute cases of gout are deposits of uric acid salts that may appear around the affected joint and even in tissues in the earlobes. These uric acid salts are chalk colored nodules, and are also called tophi. The presence of uric acid salts is an indication further treatment is needed.
Living With Knee Arthritis
Arthritis is a general term describing over 100 different conditions that cause pain, stiffness and (often) inflammation in one or more joints. Everyone with arthritis can benefit from eating a healthy well balanced diet.
There is no special diet or ‘miracle food’ that cures arthritis, but some conditions may be helped by avoiding or including certain foods. For example, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis seem to respond to an increased dietary intake of fish oils, while gout benefits from avoidance of alcohol and offal meats.
Always seek the advice of your doctor or dietitian before changing your diet in an attempt to treat arthritis. You may be restricting your food intake unnecessarily, or overdosing on products (such as mineral supplements) that may have no impact on your condition at all.
General dietary recommendations for a person with arthritis include: eat a well balanced diet, avoid crash dieting or fasting, increase dietary calcium to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later life, drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, keep your weight within the normal range, by reducing the amount of dietary fats you consume.
Uric acid is a waste product that is normally excreted from the body in urine. Gout is a type of arthritis characterised by the build-up of uric acid in the joints (such as the big toe), which causes inflammation and pain.
Some of the dietary recommendations that may help to ease the symptoms of gout include: restrict or avoid alcohol, restrict or avoid offal meats, such as liver, kidneys and brains,restrict or avoid shellfish and anchovies, drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, make sure you don’t overeat on a regular basis, be sure to take your time when eating.
Fish oils that contain omega-3 fatty acids have been found, in various studies, to help reduce the inflammation associated with some sorts of arthritis. These forms of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, are characterised by inflammation.
The fish oil seems to work by reducing the number of inflammatory ‘messenger’ molecules made by the body’s immune system. There may be additional benefits to eating fish once or twice every week – researchers from around the world have discovered that the regular consumption of fish can reduce the risk of diseases ranging from childhood asthma to prostate cancer.
Being overweight does affect people with arthritis. Joints affected by arthritis are already under strain. If you are overweight or obese, the extra load on your joints may be exacerbating your symptoms, especially if your affected joints include those of the hip, knee or spine. There is also a clear link between being overweight and an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis.
To lose excess weight, you must be active, but this can be difficult for people with arthritis due to pain or stiffness. See your doctor, dietitian or health professional for information and advice. Weight reduction strategies may include: switch to a diet that is high in nutrition, while low in kilojoules, experiment with different sorts of activities – for example, it may be possible to enjoy swimming or some kinds of low impact exercises, limit your exercise activities to unaffected joints – for example, if your hands are affected, you may be able to comfortably ride on a stationary bicycle.
There is no substantial scientific evidence that would support a person with arthritis avoiding particular foods, unless that person has specifically shown intolerance to them (the exception is gout). However, as research reveals more connections between diet and health, it is possible that stronger connections between particular foods and arthritis may emerge.
With some foods – such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and peppers – there is much anecdotal evidence (stories about individuals), but again there is no strong scientific evidence.
If you think a particular food may aggravate your arthritis, it can be useful to keep a food diary.
After a month, you may have some idea about which food could be provoking symptoms. You could then try eliminating that food from your diet for two weeks to see what happens. Don’t cut out a whole food category, and make sure you are getting the vitamins and minerals that this food provides from other sources. It is important to let your doctor know that you are doing this.
Discover treatment options, read more about arthroscopic knee, severe knee arthritis allergies to pain medication, artificial knee and look at arthroscopic knee surgery pictures.
Gout foods to eat and a Low purine diet
To put it very simply, gout is the inflammation of the joints when excess amounts of uric acid crystallize in the joints. Uric acid is a waste product that occurs in the blood due to the breakdown of purines, which is why we look for a low purine diet. People who are afflicted by gout do not have the capacity to break down and excrete this excess uric acid from their body. Consequently, the uric acid level in their blood goes up. Slowly, sharp crystal shards of uric acid are formed in the joints and cause painful inflammation. An attack of gout can strike like a bolt from the blue. The excruciating, throbbing pain turns the skin red-hot and the affected joints become tender and swollen which is why we look for the best Gout foods to eat.
We all have uric acid in our blood, but those who are unfortunate enough to suffer from gout either produce too much uric acid or cannot excrete enough of it. Often, the big toe is the prime target of the inflammation. So, gouty arthritis is often called “gouty big toe”. But gout can affect other joints of the body including the heel of the hand, the ear, ankles, knees, elbows or wrists.
While Gout can appear in just about anybody, the typical victim is a slightly overweight middle-aged male who has a family history of gout. Out of the 2.5 million people who suffer from gout, at least 80% are middle-aged males. Women are prone to higher levels of uric acid after they reach menopause.
To control gout, we need to have an understanding of the factors that lead to the excessive formation of uric acid in the blood. About one-third of the uric acid in the body comes from food and alcohol. Here is a list of food that contains high amounts of purines (uric acid is a waste product of purines):
-Beets
-Yeast
-Alcohol
-Organ meat
-Sardines in oil, herring and fish roes
-Mushroom, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus
-Lentil beans and peas
-High fat dairy products
A person who has gout must restrain him or herself from eating food that is rich in purines which is why we recommend a low purine diet. But, gout is not caused by food alone. Poor kidney function works in conjunction with the food you eat to build up the uric acid levels in the blood. Alhtough Gout foods to eat that can help are best to identify sooner rather than later.
How to control Gout
Other than avoiding the foods listed above, another effective strategy to combat the uric acid build-up is to drink plenty of water. Water detoxifies the system, and by increasing urination helps to avoid the crystallization process. Crystallization happens only when the uric acid levels are excessively high in the blood. Ample exercise also helps in reducing gout by increasing the blood circulation in the body.
Gout foods to eat – certain foods like tofu, nuts and olive oil seem to help a weak kidney in eliminating uric acid from the bloodstream. A diet that has plenty of complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread and pastas, certain fruits, and vegetables) also alleviates the symptoms. If you suffer from high blood pressure, you must make sure the medication you use does not inadvertently increase the uric acid level in your blood. For some unknown reason, gout seems to attack a joint that has been previously traumatized. Therefore, try to avoid injuries and wear comfortable shoes.
Managing Gout
There is no immediate medication for Gout. You can only adopt certain steps that will make the pain manageable. At a time when most patients cannot even bear the weight of a bed sheet on a sore joint, keeping the afflicted joint elevated and at rest is one of the best things to do. An icepack may numb the area and reduce pain. Use a painkiller that reduces inflammation. Some medications like aspirin can worsen matters by causing a rise in Uric Acid levels, and try and go for a low purine diet.
Foods to avoid with gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that causes inflammation, pain, sourness and swelling of the joints, also reducing their mobility. It mostly it affects the joints of the lower body limbs, such as toes, heels, ankles and knees, but it can also affect the joints of the upper body. Gout sometimes affects skin and soft tissue like muscles and tendons, causing swelling and rigidity. There are many factors that contribute to the occurrence and the development of gout, such as genetic predisposition to the disease, renal insufficiency, inappropriate diet and lack of proper exercise. Among all these triggers of gout, the quantity and the type of food consumed seem to play a very important role, so foods to avoid with gout is vital.
In the past, gout was referred to as “the disease of kings”, as it mostly affected rich people. The high incidence of gout among the rich, noble families in the past is explained by the fact that they had better access to expensive, exotic foods that in present are known to facilitate the development of the disease. Today, many people are still confronted with gout as a result of improper diet, unaware of the damage that some foods cause to the organism. Apart from foods that cause gout, another important factor in the development of the disease is obesity.
Gout is mainly caused by the crystallization of a substance called uric acid in the bloodstream, causing arteries to block. In normal quantities, uric acid is neutral to the organism. However, when in excess, it may cause a lot of damage. Uric acid is a residual product formed in the synthesis of purine. Purine is a substance that resides in fat meats, fish, some dairy products and vegetables. Foods that cause gout are rich in saturated fats and purines, therefore contributing to the excessive secretion of uric acid. Among the foods to avoid with gout, the most dangerous are considered to be red meats and some fish. Beef, pork, lamb and seafood should be avoided when suffering from gout. Furthermore, healthy people should control their intake of such foods in order to prevent the acquiring of gout. Other foods like chicken meat, low dairy, grains, green vegetables and fruits are well tolerated among people who suffer from gout.
In order to ameliorate the symptoms of gout, foods that cause gout should be excluded from the diet in favor of healthy food. Also, the consumption of alcohol should be reduced, as it increases the amount of uric acid produced by the organism. Smoking can aggravate the symptoms of gout too, slowing the natural process of healing and interfering in the right circulation of the blood.
By drinking plenty of water you will help the body in eliminating the excess of uric acid. It is strongly recommended to drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Also, try to reduce the amount of saturated fats from your diet and eat more carbohydrate rich foods such as cereal, pasta and bread. Consume plenty of fruits, as they contain lots of important vitamins and minerals. Fruits like apples, oranges, nectarines and lemons should be a part of your daily menu. Hopefully this has given some help to determine which foods to avoid with gout.
Issues Regarding Gout Treatment
Due to improper diet, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, many people suffer from gout these days. Gout predominantly affects men and the disease is most likely to occur at a more advanced age. Men with ages over 50 usually develop forms of gout. In some cases, women can also develop the disease after the age of 60.
There are many factors that facilitate the development of gout, but the actual cause of the disease seems to be the body’s excessive secretion of a substance called uric acid. Uric acid is a residual product that is excreted from the body through urine. The surplus of uric acid inside the body leads to its accumulation in the form of uric crystals. These crystals deposit in different regions of the organism, causing inflammation. Gout mainly affects joints, especially those of the lower body limbs. Gout causes inflammation, swelling and intense pain of the affected areas.
Although the disease can be corrected through an appropriate gout treatment, there is no specific cure for it. Many medicines prescribed for gout usually control its symptoms, rather than the actual causes. However, some of the causes of gout can be overcome through the means of a good, healthy diet. It is very important to reduce the consumption of alcohol when suffering from gout, as it interferes with renal activity. Smoking is known to cause damage to arteries and it can also slow down the process of healing.
Gout usually involves intense pain of the joints. Pain episodes tend to become more intense during the night and sometimes people with gout have trouble sleeping. Although some medicines don’t prevent pain attacks from reoccurring, they are effective for temporarily reducing it. Common medicines prescribed in gout treatments are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, ketoprofen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen). They are efficient in calming the inflammation and also ameliorate the pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs are usually well-tolerated by the body. They are administered orally, in the quantities prescribed by the doctor.
Another substance used in gout treatment is Colchicine. Although it considerably reduces pain and discomfort of the regions affected by gout, it also has a lot of side effects. Due to this fact, Colchicine is only administered to patients suffering from acute gout or to those who don’t respond well to gout treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Corticosteroids are also used in some gout treatments. They quickly relief the pain and they can usually be injected directly into the affected joint. However, they are used only in extreme cases, due to their multiple side effects.
Although proper diet and drinking larger quantities of water are a natural way of getting rid of the surplus of uric acid from the body, some medicines can also help to normalize the levels of the substance. Such medicines are usually used in chronic gout treatment. Allopurinol is an inhibitor that decreases the quantities of uric acid secreted by the body. Uricosuric Agents like probenecid and sulfinpyrazone improve the activity of the kidneys, aiding the process of excretion.
Many symptoms of gout can be ameliorated by following an appropriate gout treatment. However, when suffering from chronic forms of gout the symptoms reappear after certain periods of time and ongoing treatment is necessary.
How To Overcome The Symptoms Of Gout
Gout is one of the oldest and most painful diseases known to man. In the middle ages a gout patient was described as someone who was rich, corpulent and aristocratic, particularly one with enormous appetite for food, drink and women. And it is almost and always associated with men.
The symptoms of gout are irregular, excruciatingly painful attacks that are felt in the joints although typically each gouty episode affects one joint at a time. The most commonly affected joints are those of the big toe, which becomes red and swollen, hot and painful so that even the weight of a bed sheet seems unbearable. Other joints such as the knees and elbows are also affected, but one at a time.
The attacks usually last for about two weeks and then subside, recurring at some time in the future. The reoccurrence of the attacks varies — sometimes the gout symptoms don’t entirely disappear, causing a patient to feel pain all the time.
With current medical technologies and with the use of advanced microscopic examination the real cause of gout was finally identified. And the culprit was none other than uric acid. The excruciating pain in the joints is due to the pointy crystals of uric acid.
Some patients have too much uric acid in their system, and they tend to develop yellowish chalk-like deposits around the joints or in other parts of their body such as the ear lobes. Most patients of gout have blood levels that show elevated uric acid, a manifestation of gout in their system.
The next step is finding ways to decrease and control the formation of excessive uric acid that usually accompanies a gluttonous lifestyle. Uric acid is actually a by-product of purine; a type of protein found in many commonly consumed foods.
It is therefore rational to conclude that gout is caused by excessive protein in the diet especially those proteins that are rich in purines. With this information to guide doctors, they have placed gout patients in a series of low-protein diets that are low in purines. Likewise, drugs that prevent formation of uric acid are given.
Patients are also advised to choose lean meats, low fat dairy products and limit the intake of fats in their diet. Newer theories on gout suggest that the gout disease is not only the result of a high protein diet (it has been observed patients suffering from different diseases also have high levels of uric acid) it may also be caused by excessive consumption of refined sugar and flour. This might help to explain why most gout patients are obese.
Lastly, gout is truly a disease that results from the inability of the kidney to excrete enough uric acid to keep it from building up inside the body. Nevertheless, a treatment program that includes a decrease in protein intake plus the use of other medication helps to prevent the build up of uric acid and lowering chances of gout attacks.
Gout Treated with Alternative Medicine
The name of the disease is not what concerns the person who treats the patient holistically, for they are looking at the die-ease in the patient, not the gout. Gout is a manifestation of the dis-ease in the patient, treating the presenting symptoms with drugs for the inflammation and pain may well relieve the symptoms temporarily, but it’s not treating the cause of the condition.
So what is the cause of gout? One might be told that some families have a predisposition to gout, and you may be told that some foods exacerbate the condition, and that’s about all that can be done if you are treated conventionally, you will also be given some prescription drugs to alleviate your pain, and to reduce inflammation. If you do nothing else to correct the cause of your gout, then it’s very unlikely you will see any improvement in your health.
You may say that since you have been taking a certain drug that you haven’t had any gout attacks, and as far as you are concerned not much else matters. Unfortunately the prescription drugs have only palliated your condition, and with constant ingestion of anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers your gouty condition will continue to develop behind the scenes, and your general health will deteriorate as a result of the drugs you are taking.
Alternative medicine, depending on what modality you have chosen, would firstly want to overhaul your diet, for a diet rich in purine foods would certainly exacerbate the condition, and may even be solely responsible for your gout.
Foods high in purines and are therefore to be avoided: Meat gravies, stocks, organ meats, shellfish, anchovies, sardines, herrings, mussels, mushrooms and asparagus. Alcohol, particularly beer is high in purines, and for that reason must be avoided. Any alcohol taken should be followed by copius amounts of water to avoid dehydration and consequent uric acid build-up. Meat, white flour, sugar, poultry, dried beans, fish, oatmeal,cauliflower, spinach and peas are moderately high in purines, and may need to be avoided.
The ideal diet should contain lots of organic fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, and a very important dietary addition is wheatgrass. Fruits, vegetables and juices assist the excretion of uric acid, and foods that neutralize uric acid are strawberries, cherries, and celery juice, also drink lots of filtered water. Many people have found that the addidition of cherry juice to their diet has prevented further gout attacks.
You may be given herbs or homeopathic remedies for your condition, however a change in your dietary habits may be all that is needed to improve your health. What a simple answer to what could remain a lifetime problem if you may no effort to change your eating habits. If you wish to rid yourself of your gout, alternative medicine can certainly help you.
Factors of Risk in Common Forms of Gout
Gout is known to be a rheumatoid form of arthritis that causes inflammation, intense pain, discomfort and swelling of the affected regions. Gout mainly tends to affect the joints, especially those of the lower body limbs, such as toes, heels, ankles, knees. In some cases, gout may cause inflammation of the elbows and hand wrists. Skin and soft tissue such as tendons and muscles can also be affected by the disease, losing their flexibility and elasticity.
The main cause of gout is the clustering of uric acid crystals in the arteries, obstructing normal blood flow and causing inflammation. Due to either excessive production of uric acid in the body or renal insufficiency (sometimes the kidneys are unable to eliminate the surplus of uric acid), uric acid accumulates, crystallizes and deposits in different body regions. Food intake plays a major role in the development of gout. Some foods are rich in fat and purine, a substance that is synthesized by the organism into uric acid and therefore may aggravate the symptoms of gout. Smoking and the consumption of alcohol should be considerably reduced when suffering from gout, as these factors affect the secretion of uric acid, contributing to its accumulation within the body.
People who suffer from gout may experience sudden, unexpected pain episodes that tend to reoccur periodically. This may be a first sign of chronic gout. The pain is sometimes more intense during the night in the case of some people who suffer from gout. Another form of gout, referred to as pseudogout, occurs due to the accumulation of crystallized calcium in the joints, instead of uric acid.
Gout is more likely to be developed by men (almost 90 percent of people diagnosed with gout are male), usually after the age of 40. In some cases, women at menopause can be affected by the disease too. Gout rarely occurs to children and young adults.
Gout is considered to have a pronounced hereditary character. Research results indicate that some people who suffer from gout have a family history of the disease.
Obesity is another important factor that leads to the development of gout. The organisms of overweight people tend to produce more uric acid. Obesity also increases the risks of injury at the level of the joints.
Other factors that may facilitate the development of gout are prolonged treatments with diuretics, previous surgeries, the presence of certain diseases that affect blood circulation or extreme medical treatments such as chemotherapy.
It is very important to control gout through the means of an appropriate diet. It is best to keep away from cigarettes and alcohol, as these factors are known to aggravate the disease. Drink plenty of water to facilitate the elimination of excessive uric acid (you should drink around 2 liters of water a day). Lastly, try to avoid a sedentary lifestyle; exercise regularly to keep your body in good shape.
Disease Of The Rich – Gout
This is the ‘kings’ disease’ as it affects the affluent. It is a type of arthritis that affects the toe, knee and other joints. Your kidneys lose their ability to flush out the excess amounts of uric acid, partially. This uric acid crystallizes and lodges in the joints, thus causing joint pain. This joint gets hot, swollen and tender. This pain usually starts in the middle of the night and can last for hours and days at a stretch. But it can vanish quite quickly.
The following are some of the simple home remedies that you can take to prevent the gout infection:
• Lose weight slowly: People suffering from gout are usually overweight with their body weight about 10 to 15 percent overweight. More your girth, higher your uric acid level. The higher incidence of the uric acid leads to frequent and intense gout attacks. But take care that you should lose weight slowly as crash diet leads to increase in uric acid levels.
• Control the blood pressure: Gout patients who also suffer from hypertension need to be extra careful. This is because the blood pressure medications raise the levels of uric acid. Hence it is advisable to control the blood pressure naturally by lowering the intake of the sodium, exercising regularly, reducing the excess weight and eliminating stress.
• Skip liver: Certain foods contain purine that raise uric acid levels. Though it is found in most foods, it is advisable to skip certain foods like red meat especially organ meats, liver, certain types of fish and some green leafy vegetables like spinach.
• Stop the drink: If you are suffering from gout, avoid alcohol. This is because alcohol stimulates the production of uric acid. Beer is the main culprit as it has higher purine content than the other wines or spirits.
• Go heavy on water: Drinking lots of water will help kidneys flush out the excess uric acid. Dehydration is also known to trigger gout attack. You can increase the urinary output by drinking at least five glasses of water a day.
• Improve your sex life: It has been found that if you are a man, having frequent sexual activity reduces the levels of uric acid.
• Take care of your feet: If you increase your big toe, you run the risk of gout attack. Wear shoes around the house and protect the feet from the daily accidents.
Diagnosis and Pathogenesis of Gout
Gout is a common type of arthritis that causes inflammation, swelling and pain of the joints. The disease is caused by the accumulation of uric crystals at the level of the joints and muscular tissues. In many cases, the underlying cause of gout is high serum uric acid concentration. Uric acid is a substance synthesized during the body’s purine metabolism, having no physiological importance inside the organism. In fact, uric acid is a waste product excreted by the kidneys through urine. High serum uric acid levels are the result of either overproduction or inappropriate excretion of uric acid. The great majority of gout cases are caused by under-excretion of uric acid, as a consequence of renal dysfunctions.
Although hyperucemia (high levels of serum uric acid) is considered to be directly related with the development of gout, the disease isn’t always caused by this factor. For instance, people may develop gout even on the premises of normal serum uric acid levels, while many people with hyperucemia don’t actually develop gout. Although the symptoms of gout closely resemble the clinical manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis, there doesn’t seem to be a connection between these two disorders.
Gout is generally diagnosed upon patients’ clinical manifestations. However, in order to confirm the diagnosis, doctors often perform additional tests, such as blood analyses or tissue examinations under the microscope. The process of diagnosing gout involves revealing traces of uric acid accumulation at the level of the joints and soft tissues. Gout sufferers usually have serum uric acid levels above the average of 7 mg per dL. Although hyperucemia isn’t always the primary cause of gout, people affected by the disease generally have elevated serum uric acid concentrations.
Gout is often the result of uric acid overproduction, facilitated by food regimens that contain high levels of purines. However, sometimes the body’ overproduction of uric acid is the consequence of physiological abnormalities. Recently conducted experiments have identified various physiological dysfunctions in people diagnosed with gout, such as abnormal activity of the enzymes that control purine synthesis. Gout is considered to have a pronounced genetic character and it can often be seen in people who have a family history of the disease.
In some cases, gout occurs due to under-excretion of uric acid. This waste product is eliminated by the kidneys, through urine, or by the gastrointestinal tract, through stools. However, the primary cause for the under-excretion of uric acid is abnormal activity of the kidneys. Thus, people with kidney disorders are exposed to a high risk of developing gout.
The symptoms of gout are generally episodic and they often involve intense pain in the joints. Pain attacks tend to intensify at night and they may last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The medical treatment of gout generally acts on two levels: it normalizes serum uric acid levels and relieves gout attacks. In order to ameliorate pain attacks, doctors usually prescribe gout sufferers non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchinide or injections with corticosteroids. Medications such as probenecid, sulfinpyrazone and allopurinol are usually used in the treatment of gout for preventing the recurrence of pain attacks. Corroborated with an appropriate diet and lifestyle improvements, medical treatments available today can in time overcome gout, also minimizing the chances of relapse.
Curing Gout Naturally with Gout Diet Foods to Eat
What is gout?
Gout is a form of joint inflammation that is caused by excess uric acid in the body. This happens due to poor diet, stress and not enough sleep. Gout causes a sudden and severe pain — you’ll notice the skin over the affected joint is usually red and glossy. Often times, gout attacks come on as fast as overnight.
Men between 30 and 50 years old are mostly affected by gout, for pre menopausal women, the uric acid level is lower, but after age 50 uric acid tends to increase along with the increase of gout incidents.
Primarily, gout affects one and sometimes two joints at a time; more often it attacks the feet and ankles. Even without healing, the pain subsides for about a week. It takes months or years before it returns, during this time attacks become more frequent and more severe, more joints are now involved. And when gout becomes chronic, the damage to the joint is deforming and crippling.
Can gout be cured naturally?
Curing gout naturally takes time, but can be done when you know the gout diet foods to eat, especially if a body has accumulated toxins over a lifetime, but it will be well worth the effort. Cleansing your system of accumulated toxins promotes proper functioning of your body and puts you on the road to natural good health.
Here’s what you can do:
1. Maintain a healthy weight and diet. It is not recommended to be 30 pounds (or more) overweight, as this increases the risk of gout.
2. Loose weight if you need to. By loosing weight you reduce the pressure on weight-bearing joints and also lower uric acid levels. You don’t want to use practices that encourage rapid weight loss such as fasting as it can raise the uric acid level temporarily.
3. Avoid excessive eating of high protein foods. It is suggested for a person to eat no more than six ounces of lean meat, fish and poultry, especially those who already have gout. A high-protein food increases the blood level of uric acid therefore gout diet foods to eat are very important.
Natural treatment for gout
Eating simple and natural food in proper combination and preparation helps your body restore and maintain vibrant health. The best diet for people with gout is 80 percent raw food or if possible organic food; these include live foods like sprouts, wheat grass, and fresh picked garden salads, and more grains, fruits and vegetables in place of protein.
The protein you need can come from non-animal food sources like legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils. Nuts are also essential and can include almonds, apricot nuts, and hazelnuts, as well as seeds such as hemp seed hearts, flax, and sesame.
A substance in some foods known as purines is a danger to gout patients and should be limited or avoided as much as possible.
The foods that contain high levels of purines include,
• Organ meats like liver, brain, kidney, tongue, tripe, and sweetbread
• Anchovies, herring and mackerel
• Meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, fish roe, scallops
• Peas, lentils, and beans though they have small amounts of purines, they should still be avoided by people suffering from gout.
Balancing the pH in a person’s body is a crucial factor in curing gout; proper pH produces a healthy immune system and internal environment. Healing of chronic illness occurs when the blood is restored to normal or slightly alkaline pH.
Exercise is another essential for curing pains caused by gout. Stretching increases and maintains a range of motion in the joints and helps to strengthen and stabilize them. This also increases the endurance and stamina of the body overall.
Reducing repetitive use of joints, and avoiding sports injuries by including proper warm-ups are also important, as it choosing suitable sports equipment for exercising.
Another way is treat gout naturally is to avoid alcoholic beverages; consuming excessive alcohol like beer inhibits the excretion of uric acid and can lead to gout. It is advised for a male to have two drinks of alcohol per day, one drink per day for women. It is best for a person who is having a gout attack to refrain from drinking alcohol.
Drinking water and is also a natural way of curing gout because it has the ability to dilute uric acid in both blood and urine.
So now you can see why gout diet foods to eat are important to help cure this condition.
Low Purine Diet as an Effective Natural Remedy for Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis caused by the excessive accumulation of uric acid inside the organism. In large amounts, uric acid forms crystals which deposit in various regions of the body, causing inflammation, pain and swelling of the joints. Uric acid is a waste product that results from purine metabolism. Although most cases of gout are hereditary, occurring due to genetically acquired renal dysfunctions which determine an inappropriate elimination of uric acid, gout is more likely to occur in people who consume large amounts of purine-rich foods. Thus, an appropriate low purine diet and lifestyle improvements can successfully alleviate the symptoms of gout and can actually reverse the undesirable effects of the disease.
There are many natural products that can reduce serum uric acid concentration. Gout sufferers are advised to eat plenty of fiber-rich vegetables (preferably raw) and fresh fruits, as they contain low levels of purines and they are also a great source of vital nutrients. Among all fruits, cherries seem to be the best natural remedy for gout. Apart from being irresistibly delicious, cherries have anti-inflammatory, sedative and analgesic properties, and they can considerably ameliorate the clinical manifestations of gout. A frequent intake of cherries can considerably reduce the duration and the intensity of gout attacks, by normalizing uric acid levels inside the body. Recent studies have revealed that by including cherries in their diet, gout sufferers are able to eliminate more uric acid through urine. Thus, cherries act as a purgative agent, aiding the process of excretion.
Both sweet cherries (dark cherries) and sour cherries (ruby-red cherries) have proved to be very benefic for gout sufferers. Sweet cherries contain few calories and are rich in natural fibers. Sweet cherries contain melatonin, a chemical that has sedative and analgesic effects. Thus, the intake of sweet cherries can also ease recurrent gout pain as part of a low purine diet. In addition, this type of cherries contains a powerful natural antioxidant that acts similarly to vitamin C. Sweet cherries can also lower the levels of inflammatory substances such as nitric oxide and C-reactive protein, chemicals that are related to gout, diabetes and heart disease.
Sour cherries seem to reduce gout pain and inflammation and they also contain natural antioxidants that can decongest the arteries clogged with uric acid crystals. Sour cherries are rich in vitamin A, they contain very few calories and they can be safely introduced in any gout diet. Recent studies have revealed that by consuming around 100 grams of cherries each day, gout sufferers can experience a rapid amelioration of their symptoms. Although it is best to consume them raw, cherries can also be introduced in various recipes. Thanks to their remarkable qualities, cherries should be included in any low purine diet.
Gout – Rich Man’s Knee Pain
There are many causes of knee pain, such as overuse, obesity, arthritis or injury. However, there are two main causes of knee pain, they are arthritis and gout. If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering with knee pain or arthritis pain in the knee you may benefit from the many studies done on this subject. The three basic types of arthritis that may cause hip and knee pain: osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis (most commonly rheumatoid arthritis), and traumatic arthritis like gout.
Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus can cause knee pain. In children, chronic knee pain may be the first sign of rheumatoid arthritis or simply “growing pains”. Knee pain may result from trauma, overuse, internal derangement, osteoarthritis, or inflammatory arthritis. The differential diagnoses include inflammatory arthritis, bursitis or tendonitis, anterior knee pain and internal derangement.
Gout the another main reason for knee pains. Gout is a condition that causes sudden and severe attacks of pain, redness and swelling of joints. Gout is a condition has been well known for many centuries. Most often it affects a single joint in one episode, often the big toe. About 9 out of 10 affected individuals affected by gout are men over the age of 40. The peak age of attacks is 75 years, but it can occur in young individuals on rare occasions. Over one millions Americans have a gout attack each year.
Gout is due to accumulations of uric acid within the fluid of your joints. Uric acid is a waste product of many foods that we eat. In order to properly digest food, and rid our body of waste, we produce substances such as uric acid to transport waste material. Ultimately, uric acid is excreted via the kidneys in urine. However, when the transportation of uric acid is impaired, and uric acid accumulates in the blood stream, the condition called gout may result. The impairment of uric acid excretion is often due to a hereditary problem, but can also have other causes.
When the uric acid level becomes too high for an individual, painful attacks of gouty arthritis, or joint pain, can result. Other symptoms can include kidney stones, and, ultimately, kidney failure. It is interesting to note that the relationship between uric acid levels in the blood stream and gout is unclear. Some individuals with gout have normal or near normal blood levels of uric acid; other individuals have very high blood levels of uric acid with no symptoms of gout. It appears to be entirely dependent on the individual.
Some individuals have a hereditary condition making them more susceptible to gout; other risk factors also contribute to having a gouty attack. Among these are obesity and sudden weight gain, abnormal kidney function, excessive intake of alcohol (especially “binge” drinking), and certain types of cancer. Some medications, such as thiazide diuretics to control blood pressure, and foods that are rich in purines can lead to attacks. Purine-rich foods include organ meats (e.g. liver, kidney), herring, anchovies, and to an extent, all meat products.
Osteoarthritis and Gout
In our last article, we briefly discussed Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis and gout. This article will take a close look at the cause, symptoms, and current treatment used for Osteoarthritis. So let’s take a second look at what Osteoarthritis is.
Osteoarthritis is known by many as “wear and tear” Arthritis. It is one of the most common forms of Arthritis and is the result of cartilage wearing away from the joints. This cartilage is responsible for the smooth gliding of joints, and once it begins to deteriorate, the patient is left with pain, joint swelling and inflammation, and even deformity.
Osteoarthritis patients usually state that their pain is greatest during times of movement, and then lessens significantly during periods of rest. Osteoarthritis affects many more women than men. There is an estimated 24 million Osteoarthritis sufferers in the United States and roughly 74% are women.
The cause of Osteoarthritis or gout is not known, yet doctors have many suspicions. Some of the symptoms of Osteoarthritis boggle the minds of scientists and more research needs to take place to determine the actual root of the disease. For instance, X-rays can tell that Arthritis is present, yet the amount of pain reported by Osteoarthritis sufferers differs from the results of the X-ray. Though many people refer to Osteoarthritis as the “wear and tear” disease, evidence shows that this disease and its mysterious cause are not as simple as that definition. In fact, “wear and tear” does not take place in just one joint, but affects joints simultaneously throughout the body. An example of this, is that sufferers with Osteoarthritis of the knee, offer suffer Osteoarthritis in the hand. Also, doctors have noted that patients don’t suffer with Osteoarthritis on just one side of the body (as would be expected due to wear and tear) but because it seems to affect the body concurrently, it appears that Osteoarthritis is a systematic disease affecting all of the cartilage at once.
One suggestion is that Osteoarthritis is a result of cartilage that has stopped functioning at optimum level. Cartilage is continuously undergoing a process where it is broken down, then rebuilt. Some theories state that this process becomes unbalanced and out of hand. This is referred to as “End Stage Osteoarthritis.” It is at this stage that joint pain and impairment begin to manifest. There are many natural remedies that show promise in the management of Osteoarthritis and gout pain and symptoms. Look for future articles in our Arthritis Series that will offer natural remedies that may prevent enzymes from damaging cartilage.
Some other ideas that point to the cause of Osteoarthritis include:
· Previous Sports related or Joint Injuries
· Genetically Inherited (it appears that Osteoarthritis runs in families)
· Repeated Occurrences of Bleeding into a Joint (as occurs with Hemophilia and other diseases)
· Repeated Occurrences of Gout and Gout like Diseases
· Avascular Necrosis- this is a condition where blood near a bone is cut off, this leads to bone death as well as joint damage. Avascular Necrosis typically afflicts the hip joint.
· Previous Rheumatoid Related Illness- such as Rheumatoid Arthritis can lead to chronic inflammation of the joints.
· Osteoporosis-due to the high risk of bone fractures and injury, Osteoarthritis may develop in joints.
· Metabolic Disorders- for example, Hemochromatosis can result in high levels of Iron being deposited in the joints
· Joint Infection-It is believed that cartilage may deteriorate in people who have defects in their cartilage and joints.
We’ve discussed the potential causes of Osteoarthritis, now it is time to look at the various symptoms of Osteoarthritis. The symptoms of Osteoarthritis include:
· Joint Pain- this tends to be worse when rising in the morning
· Joint Swelling and Inflammation- this occurs during periods of activity
· Feeling a “Grinding” Sensation when a Joint is moved
· Loss of Mobility and Flexibility
There is no sure way to prevent Arthritis in any of its forms. There are however some things that you can do to help lower your risk of developing Osteoarthritis or any other type of Arthritis. Some of the preventative methods that you may add to your lifestyle today include:
· Maintain an Ideal Body Weight
· Take steps to prevent the development of Osteoporosis. Some of these include taking adequate Vitamin D and Calcium, exercising, and taking medication if needed.
· Do your best to prevent injuring your bones and joints –try to avoid accidents such as sports related, implementing joint protection by using splints and braces.
Chondromalacia or Gout?
Little kids often come running to their parents crying over some bruises om their knees. But as these kids grow up, they are exposed to running the risk of getting more serious injuries, brought about by their chosen lifestyles.
Knee-related injuries and medical conditions are among the common reasons many people visit their doctors nowadays. Some people may consider knee pain as a minor problem, but it can lead to serious discomfort and acute disability, depending on the severity of the damage. Several knee injuries happen due to chronic overuse, alignment problems, active sports, failure to warm up and stretch before exercise, or even daily household chores that would require extra physical effort. Other knee-related problems can also result from trauma, such as a car accident, a fall or a direct blow to your knee, as well as due to medical conditions such as arthritis, gout or chondromalacia.
Much has been said about arthritis and gout. But what about chondromalacia? Is this a new type of malady? What causes it and who gets affected by it? Chondromalacia is a knee-joint condition that needs serious attention and requires proper treatment.
Chondromalacia of the patella, also called patellofemoral pain, is a term that refers to pain arising between the patella (kneecap) and the underlying thighbone (femur). The softening of the cartilage beneath the kneecap results in small areas of breakdown and pain around the knee. Instead of gliding smoothly over the knee, the patella rubs against the thighbone everytime the knee moves. These changes vary from mild to total erosion of the cartilage.
This condition is usually prevalent among young women, especially those who have a slight misalignment of the kneecap. Teenage girls are usually at high risk because the knee cartilage is prone to excessive and uneven pressure brought upon by the physiological changes that comes with the growth spurts of puberty. Adults over 40 may develop this condition as part of the wear-and-tear process, possibly resulting in arthritis of the kneecap or osteoarthrities of the knee joint. chondromalacia may also be caused by accidents and trauma, or abnormal pressures on the knee-joint, as experienced by athletes.
Pain and swelling caused by chondromalacia of the patella are felt in the front or inside of the knee. The kneepain becomes worse when seated for long periods, such as while getting up from a chair and when climbing stairs. A grating or grinding sensation may be noticed everytime the knee is extended or straightened.
Most of the time, conservative treatments for chondromalacia are exercise programs designed to strengthen the muscles around the knee and to bring back the normal alignment of the knee cap. These exercises must be approved by a physical therapist to selectively build the thigh muscles (the quads) and realign the knee cap.
A great number of patients usually improve with conservative treatment alone and without much further need for other therapy. Only a small number of cases where kneepain persists or worsens would knee joint surgery be required. While it may not be possible to avoid chondromalacia, certain measures can be taken to reduce the risk of trauma and injuries, as well as abnormal stress on the knee. Rehabilitation programs focusing on flexibilty and strength training of the muscles that control your kneecaps can greatly help in the prevention of its development in many cases. Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs and other arthritis pain relief medications may be prescribed to alleviate suffering from pain and inflammation.
