Natural Gout Remedies » What Is Gout ?

Basic Information on Gout – What Gout is and How to Treat It

dons1 — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:52:11 +0000

Basic Information on Gout is a guest article…

Gout is a type of arthritis that can lead to sudden attacks of stiffness, joint swelling, and burning sensation in and around the affected joint. Any joint in the body can develop gout, but the joints of the big toes are most commonly affected. Gout attacks can happen anytime of the day and can also occur repeatedly. These attacks can eventually damage the joints and the surrounding tissues unless the condition is managed early.

High levels of blood uric acid can lead to gout. But, having increased levels of uric acid does not necessarily mean the development of gout, since there are a lot of patients who never develop gout even with high levels of uric acid. However, some patients do form urate crystals in the joints when their blood uric acid is elevated. Pain and swelling are caused by these crystal formations.

People who are overweight and those who are heavy drinkers of alcohol — especially beer — have a greater risk of developing gout. Consuming too much meat and fish, particularly the internal organs like the liver and kidneys, can increase blood uric acid because these foods are high in purines. When purines are broken down by the body, uric acid si formed. The more purine rich foods are consumed, the higher the levels of uric acid in the body.

Generally speaking, the common signs of gout are great pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness to touch of the big toe, that occurs quite often during nighttime. This can last for weeks or months before the pain lessens. Another gout attack may not be felt again for months or even years.

To help ease the pain of gout, rest the affected joint. To help with the pain and swelling, one can take pain relievers and / or anti inflammatory drugs.

But the best way to stop gout pain is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Modify the diet by limiting your meat and fish intake to naturally reduce uric acid levels. Medications that lower uric acid levels and drinking a lot of fluids can ease the symptoms. A natural gout supplement can be used to assist with the symptoms of gout. This can be used as a supplement and does not cause any abdominal problems as pain killers do.

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Gout, What Do You Know About It?

dons1 — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:03:01 +0000

The Egyptians were the first to identify gout over 4,000 years ago, and the Greek physician Hippocrates, “the father of medicine,” wrote bout it. Hippocrates even noted the connection between the intense and temporary joint pain of gout and the consumption of alcohol and rich foods.

Understanding gout has changed in more recent times and once considered a condition of the wealthy, it was known as the “disease of kings,” gout is now known to affect everyone in all walks of life. Food and drink do play a role in gout, but there are also several other risk factors including genes. And according to the American College of Rheumatology, gout affects up to 3 million Americans, making it one of the most common types of arthritis.

If you have high uric acid levels in your blood then the stage is set for gout. Uric acid is the byproduct of the body’s breakdown of substances called purines. Purines are found naturally in the body and are also present in high levels in certain foods. When the purines are broken down, the results are uric acid and then that is carried through the bloodstream to the kidneys and then flushed out of the body through your urine.

There are some people who have high levels of uric acid that builds up in the bloodstream, a condition that’s called hyperuricemia, that may be the result of an excess of purines in the body, caused by a purine rich diet or because the body produces too many purines. More commonly, it is the result of the kidneys’ inability to remove enough uric acid from the blood. There are times when it’s a combination of the two causes. Also, there are some people, not all, with hyperuricemia, that have the uric acid in the blood form into sharp, needle-like crystals that can collect in a joint and this sets off an inflammatory reaction, that causes pain, swelling, and redness, this is gout.

Gout usually follows a pattern of “attacks” followed by periods with few or no symptoms. Gout attacks usually come on suddenly, often at night, with intense pain and inflammation in a joint or joints. Without treatment, the pain usually lasts 5 to 10 days and then subsides and you may not have another attack for several years. After several attacks, the episodes of gout will often become more frequent and longer lasting.

The big toe joint is the most common place for gout and is usually the first joint affected, while other joints can also be affected, like other joints in the foot and the ankle, knee, elbow and with more advanced gout in the hands and writs may be involved. Gout can affect more than the joints, crystals can collect in the urinary tract and kidney stones can form.

The diagnosis of gout can usually be made with a high degree of accuracy using a needle to take a fluid sample from an affected joint and then examine the fluid sample under a microscope for uric acid crystals. If this test isn’t available, the doctor will consider the symptoms such as hyperuricemia (blood test can establish this) and sudden and intense pain, especially in the joint of the big toe. Some people with gout will have a lump of uric acid crystals called a tophus that may form near the affected joint and is usually associated with advanced gout.

Gout is more common in men, in the age group between 40 and 60, but women will develop gout at increasing rates after menopause.

An increase in uric acid levels in the blood can be found in foods high in purines and raise the risk of a gout attack. Seafood like shellfish, sardines, herring, and anchovies are high in purines and so are red meats and organ meats like liver, kidney, and sweetbread. All alcohol causes the kidneys to excrete less uric acid, thereby raising uric acid levels in the blood, but beer, having this affect also is high in purines.

Diet isn’t the only factor that influences whether or not you develop gout or have another attack. There are people who eat foods that are high in purines and never get gout, while others can eat these foods and still get gout.

Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure have all been found to raise the risk of gout, although, it’s not clear why they do. While rheumatoid arthritis and other types of arthritis don’t have the same effect. Also, diuretics, or “water pills,” as well as other medicines, including cyclosporine, Neoral, Sandimmune, and moderate doses of aspirin, can increase the risk of gout, while low dose aspirin that is taken to reduce heart attacks and strokes, are safe for people with gout.

For those people who have gout attacks, it’s important to have treatments to reduce the blood levels of uric acid because as the uric acid levels go down in the blood, the uric acid crystals in the joints and tophi are reabsorbed back into the body and the symptoms of gout decrease or go away completely. But, if you leave your gout untreated, it can cause serious problems in the joints and after a time of intermittent attacks, gout can become chronic, causing pain even between attacks and it can damage the structure of the joint. Chronic gout can damage the kidneys as well.

Angela Carter is the owner of Coastal Health Information Services ( www.ccis.web.officelive.com) located in Savannah, GA. She opened her doors in 2007, and does infomation searches on health issues, medications (side effects and benefits), FDA medication recalls, clinical trials within a 100 mile radius of your home, and alternative solutions for the traditional treatments. Her blog CHIS: Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Information You Can Use Everyday ( www.chisarthritisinfo.blogspot.com) is loaded with up-to-the-minute updated information on what is going on in the health world.
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What is a Gout Attack? – Gout Attack Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

dons1 — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 10:31:37 +0000

A gout attack can be an excruciatingly painful experience. Here, you’ll discover what a gout attack is, what causes it, and how it is treated. You’ll also discover some natural gout remedy ideas.

Gout Attack Symptoms

When someone experiences agonising pain in a joint accompanied by heat, inflammation, redness and swelling they are likely to be suffering a gout attack. Of course the first thing is to get a proper diagnosis from a doctor. If it is a gout attack, it has most likely occurred during the night / early hours of the morning, and most likely in the big toe. The majority of gout attacks happen in the big toe, but they can also occur in the foot, ankle, knee and elbow, etc.

Cause of a Gout Attack

The symptoms of gout you experience are actually caused by needle-like crystals that are formed from uric acid. They affect the surrounding tissue etc., thus causing the inflammation and pain associated with gout. Uric acid itself is a byproduct of the breakdown of vital chemical compounds that help produce our energy and proteins. Purines also exist in much of our food and, generally speaking, foods with higher concentrations of purines are associated with a higher risk of gout.

Mainstream Gout Treatment

Your doctor will usually prescribe drug-based medication along the lines of anti-inflammatories, pain killers and others to help reduce uric acid levels such as allopurinol. Although they can be effective, they do have some nasty side effects like cramps, nausea and vomiting. And they will probably advise on a low purine diet.

Natural Gout Remedies

More and more gout sufferers are utilising the benefits of natural gout remedies. They vary from things like herbs, natural supplements, vitamins and dietary changes to natural physical therapies, etc.

One of the most important is diet. As you saw above purines in food can help elevate uric acid levels, so it is advisable to change to a low purine diet by avoiding purine-rich foods such as, red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, liver, heart, brains, gravy, meat extracts, etc. The list is long so speak to your doctor about a correct diet for you. (Note that studies have shown a decreased risk of a gout attack with an increase in dairy product consumption).

Another important item is to drink plenty of water. This helps the kidneys to process and flush excess uric acid out of your body. 2 to 3 liters of water should be consumed daily.

Which ever way you go, it’s important to rid yourself of the symptoms of your gout attack fast, and, treat in a way that prevents your gout returning. Recurring gout can damage joints and kidneys.

You can find out how to do this with an easy, step-by-step natural gout remedy report that thousands of ex-gout victims around the world have successfully used. And it doesn’t matter if you have gout toe, ankle or knee etc., this report has everything covered.

To find out exactly what these ex-gout sufferers know that you don’t, and, to get gout pain relief in 2 hours, please go to http://gout-relief-today.blogspot.com and start on your guaranteed gout cure in minutes.

The author constantly researches health issues then writes reports on his findings so that you are perhaps more aware of the facts, and then, better able to make an informed decision on your choice of treatment and cure. Remember to always consult your doctor first. Gout Pain Relief in 2 Hours.
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Understanding Gout Attacks

dons1 — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:00:02 +0000

Guest article on Understanding Gout Attacks…

Gout predominantly affects middle age & elderly people, rarely occurring in young adults or children. Even though it occurs in each sex, gout has the highest incidence in the male gender. Women usually develop the disease at much more advanced stages of life, particularly after menopause.

Gout is really a illness that generates symptoms similar to those of rheumatoid arthritis. Common symptoms experienced by gout victims are pain within the joints & adjacent connective tissues, and swelling & irritation with the lower limbs. Gout has a pronounced chronic character & its clinical manifestations tend to reoccur on a regular time basis. The joint discomfort induced by gout is felt in recurrent attacks, which can last from a couple of hours to even a couple of days. As the disease progresses, the duration of gout attacks can exceed 7-10 days.

Initially, gout attacks occur within the lower levels of the body, around the areas with the toes, heels & ankles. Close to 75 percent of patients diagnosed with gout experience acute attacks in the area of the large toe. Gout attacks in the region of the large toe are referred to as podagra & they involve irritation, swelling, pain and a sensation of burning. Acute gout attacks are very intense but they generally ameliorate rapidly. This type of attacks is more likely to occur during the night, generally lasting for 2-3 hours. Podagra can also happen due to acquired injuries or intense physical effort.

Chronic gout attacks are usually long-lasting & they happen in multiple regions of the body. Apart from the area with the toes, recurrent attacks also involve discomfort and irritation with the knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists and fingers. Both kinds of gout attacks can generate low to moderate fever and sweating.

The frequency & intensity of gout attacks are strongly influenced by obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse & inappropriate diet. In order to prevent the occurrence of such attacks, gout sufferers are advised to limit the intake of seafood & meat in their diet. Foods like fresh fruits, raw vegetables, soy & low-fat dairy products are recognized to stop the incidence of episodic symptoms and to speed up the amelioration of already existent gout attacks. Gout victims are advised to divide their usual meals into smaller portions and to avoid eating right prior to going to bed.

In order to alleviate the symptoms generated by gout attacks, doctors generally prescribe medicines such as anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients who encounter severe gout attacks may be prescribed injections with corticosteroids, which supply rapid relief for joint pain and tenderness. Typical medications that may prevent the occurrence of future gout attacks are probenecid, sulfinpyrazone & allopurinol.

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What is Gout? A Simple Guide to What Gout Is

John Cielo — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:15:52 +0000

What is gout? Gout is a condition that is one of the many forms of arthritis. This is why it is sometimes referred to as gouty arthritis. It is much more common in men than in women, and, particularly in men of an older age. But that’s not to say that younger people and females can’t suffer from gout, because they can, and, often do.

About 1% or so of people — in the West at any rate – will suffer gout during there lifetimes. The symptoms of gout appear mostly in the base joint of the big toe — around 75% of the time — but, gout can manifest itself in any joint.

Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the bloodstream that form into uric acid crystals in the joints and surrounding tissue. These microscopic crystals take the shape of ‘needles’ when viewed under a microscope.

Your body, quite naturally, tries to defend itself against these ‘intruders’ and the result is an acute inflammatory reaction to the presence of the uric acid crystals. It’s this that causes the symptoms of gout such as inflammation, swelling, redness, stiffness, hot to touch, and, chronic pain.

So elevated uric acid levels are at the heart of gout, but where does uric acid come from? It is produced in the blood when ‘purines’ — which are part of our chemical structure — breakdown during the process of producing protein and energy for our bodies.

And purines also exist in our foods. Some have relatively low levels, but others have relatively high purine levels, and, some have very high levels of purines. [Note: This is important when considering the effects of your diet on gout.]

But what causes these elevated uric acid levels to occur in the first place? Well, normally, your kidneys process the uric acid produced by the metabolizing of purines, and then flush excess uric acid out of your system, mainly through the urine, but a little through stools.

However, for a number of reasons, your kidneys may not be working efficiently enough, or, your kidneys could be fine, but there is too much uric acid being produced for your kidneys to process as normal.

Either way, the outcome is elevated uric acid levels in your blood, from which uric acid crystals are formed in the joints, resulting in the agonies of gout.

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Basic Information on Gout – What Gout is and How to Treat It

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