Gout is caused by the formation of crystallized uric acid in your joints. It is a painful arthritic type of condition. The goal of treating gout is to alleviate the pain and other symptoms and prevent future gout attacks.
Gout: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
People who are having a gout attack are unable to properly excrete the uric acid that is in their body. This excessive uric acid can be caused by underperforming kidneys, an increase in the production of uric acid by your body, or an increase in the consumption of foods that lead to an increase in uric acid levels.
Symptoms of Gout:-
The most common gout symptom is an extremely painful big toe, however, gout can also appear in your finger joints, elbows, ankles, wrists, ears or other areas of the foot.
The typical symptoms of gout are rapid and severe pain in your big toe (this is the most common area of the body that will get a gout attack). Other possible symptoms of gout include;
Tender and swollen joints. Your joints may also feel warm.
Your skin at the joints which are affected with gout turns reddish in color.
Gout can last a few hours or a few days. If you are unlucky, you may be one of the people whose gout lasts a few weeks.
Some people experience chills or fever and a rapid heartbeat as symptoms of a gout attack.
The swelling caused by the uric crystals can also lead to bursitis so it is important to confront this problem as soon as it occurs.
Natural remedies for gout are becoming more and more popular as the conventional treatments have severe side effects or can cause other health problems if used for the long term.
Here is a list of things that can bring on gout;
Here is a list of things that can bring on gout;
1. High Blood Pressure
2. Recent Surgery
3. Injury to the Joint
4. Being Overweight
5. Alcohol Consumption (in excess)
6. Heredity
7. Irregular Kidney Function
8. Certain Prescription Drugs (eg. Some antibiotics, insulin, diuretics, low dose aspirin as well as others)
9. Low Thyroid Hormone Levels (a condition known as Hypothyroidism)
2. Recent Surgery
3. Injury to the Joint
4. Being Overweight
5. Alcohol Consumption (in excess)
6. Heredity
7. Irregular Kidney Function
8. Certain Prescription Drugs (eg. Some antibiotics, insulin, diuretics, low dose aspirin as well as others)
9. Low Thyroid Hormone Levels (a condition known as Hypothyroidism)
10. Consumption of certain foods which contain high levels of purines. Purines are naturally occurring chemicals in food that your body converts into uric acid. Here are some examples of this type of food…red meat, alcohol, dried peas, anchovies, creamy sauces, asparagus, mushrooms, shellfish, liver, and kidney meat. Food allergies can also bring on gout so avoid any foods that you have known allergies to.
11. Stress – increases uric acid levels in your body.
12. Chemotherapy – Because of the cellular destruction taking place during chemotherapy uric acid formation increases.
So I bet you’d like to know how to prevent gout and there are many things that you can do so take note and protect yourself.
1. Water – drinking water helps your body to flush out toxins so it is critically important, especially if you are prone to getting Gout, that you drink a lot of water every day. Water also helps your kidneys by protecting against kidney stones.
2. Exercise – exercise is so good for your body in so many ways and since being overweight is a contributory factor for suffering from gout it would pay you well to maintain a regular exercise program in your daily routine.
3. Diet – The foods mentioned above that have high purine levels should be avoided in order to prevent a gout attack as well. There are also some foods that are known to be helpful in preventing gout and some of these include foods high in potassium such as bananas, baked potato with skin on, blueberries, lemon juice, black cherry juice, and dairy products.
4. Additional Food & Drinks to Avoid – Caffeine, white flour, and products made with white flour, fried foods, rich desserts, yeast products ( bread or beer for example), cream and ice cream, sugary foods, simple carbohydrates, saturated fats, and sodas. You want to avoid fructose.
What are the complications of Gout?
What are the complications of Gout?
Gout not only cause pain, but Gout also can lead to serious health problems over time if left untreated.
So let’s have a look at some natural remedies for gout that you can try as alternatives to prescription drugs;
Natural remedies for gout do not have any known side effects so you can use these with peace of mind knowing that you’re not doing any long-term damage to your body.
1. Baking Soda – Take half a teaspoon of Baking soda with your meals. This helps to alkalize your body and prevent the build-up of uric acid.
2. Potassium – eating foods high in potassium helps prevent the build-up of uric acid as well. Potassium helps the acid crystals go into a solution so that your body can eliminate them.
3. Sex – it seems that for men, having sex helps to keep their uric acid levels down.
4. High Fiber Diet – Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (other than those that can bring on gout)
6. Lemon Juice – Mix the juice of fresh lemon with some warm water and drink this after your meals.
7. Leg Elevation – If your gout is in your leg or foot it helps to keep your leg elevated.
2. Potassium – eating foods high in potassium helps prevent the build-up of uric acid as well. Potassium helps the acid crystals go into a solution so that your body can eliminate them.
3. Sex – it seems that for men, having sex helps to keep their uric acid levels down.
4. High Fiber Diet – Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (other than those that can bring on gout)
6. Lemon Juice – Mix the juice of fresh lemon with some warm water and drink this after your meals.
7. Leg Elevation – If your gout is in your leg or foot it helps to keep your leg elevated.
8. Foods with Vitamin C- Few foods contain high levels of Vitamin C, which gives lower the level of uric acid in your blood, which is very effective in conditions of Gout. Few such foods with high levels of vitamin C are -
- Oranges,
- Pineapples,
- Bell peppers,
- Strawberries.
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Foods and Drinks to avoid when you have a Gout:
- Sugary Drinks- Sugary foods, soft drinks like soda, and foods with high fructose should be taken in limited quantity.
- Alcohol - Alcohol is one of the trigger factors for gout attacks. When you consume alcohol your kidney works to filter alcohol instead of uric acid, So Uric acid concentration increases in your body.
- Purines containing Foods - Purines are naturally found chemicals found in your body and also found in few foods. Foods which are rich in purines should be completely avoided because these foods cause an increase in Uric acid concentration in your body. Some of the Purine-rich foods are mentioned below-
- Asparagus
- Dried beans and peas
- Animal organs (like brains, liver, kidneys)
- Gravy
- Mushrooms
- Sardines
- Scallops
- Sweetbreads
Information courtesy- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
There are additional natural remedies that you can try until you find what works for your case of gout.
Thank you for reading. If you like the article please like and comment. Also, share it with the person who needs the information.
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