What is Gout by Kristin Matushek

You are what you eat. You are told from your Doctor or physician to eat healthy. For example, you should eat leafy greens, colorful fruit, and some meat to keep a regular diet. You shouldn’t feel any intense pain or swelling after eating these healthy food. Gout is type of arthritis caused by too much uric acid in the blood. It affects more than 3 million Americans. When the concentration of uric acid gets too high, sharp urate crystals form. These crystals collect in the joints, which cause extreme pain, stiffness, swelling and burning sensation. Urate crystals can collect in the urinary tract of people with gout, causing kidney stones. Medications can help reduce the risk of kidney stones. It is mostly associated to the inflamed big toe. Men over 40 are commonly known to get gout but women in menopause are found having this disease. Gout can be brought up on stressful events. If these attacks occur over and over treatment is necessary. The chances are higher for getting gout if you are overweight, to much alcohol consumption, eat excessive amount food with high purines levels, inheritance factors, and are taking water pill medications.

Gout is associated with the excessive consumption of rich foods, and it was previously known as “the disease of kings.” Most of the food we love to eat has high purine. Purines are natural chemical elements of DNA and RNA, and when the body breaks them down, they turn into uric acid. Some purines are found naturally in the body, but some foods are especially high in purine content and can sky rocket uric acid levels in the blood and cause gout. Some of the foods that can potentially trigger gout are red meat, oily fish such as sardines and anchovies, certain green vegetable including asparagus, peas and cauliflower, beans and mushrooms. People don’t know they have gout until the pain is vital.

The combination of medication can trigger the uric acid. Medicines that may increase uric acid concentration, such as regular use of aspirin or using medicines that reduce the amount of salt and water in the body (diuretics). Water pills are supposed to help lower high blood pressure and help the individual to lose weight by urinating more than usual but in the long run are developing gout.

Some more of the symptoms of gout include warmth, and extreme tenderness in a joint. The pain often starts during the night and often worsens quickly and lasts for hours. The light sensation of a blanket or sheet can be intolerable. The skin of the joint may appear very red as if it is infected. Gout in some people appears on knees, wrists, fingers and elbows. When the gout is getting better, peeling and itching of the skin around the affected joint occur.

Treatments are organized if you have an acute attack of gout or are trying to manage long-term gout and prevent further attacks. With the treatment of an acute attack, patients should rest their affected joint, use ice to subside the swelling. Doctors prescribe a short-term medication at the first sign of gout, by taking (NASIDs) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and Colchicine. To manage long-term gout and prevent future attacks is to manage your weight, get exercise and limit alcohol, meat and seafood. Take medicines as your doctor prescribes for pain. Take long-term medication that reduces uric acid levels in the blood, such as Colchicine, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, and Uricosuric agents.

To prevent future gout attacks, keep your fluid intake high by drinking 8-16 cups of water a day. Limit the amount of sweetened beverages you drink, especially those sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Studies have shown that drinking coffee, regular and decaffeinated, lower the uric acid levels. Avoid or limit alcohol, mostly beer. Eat a balanced diet which emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk products. Limit the intake of meat and fish, small amounts may be tolerable. Maintain a desirable body weight, losing weight may decrease the uric acid levels in your body.

 

http://www.webmd.com/arthritis/tc/gout-what-increases-your-risk

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gout/multimedia/gout/img-20008109

http://www.webmd.com/arthritis/tc/gout-treatment-overview