Gout is not just limited to too much alcohol,red meat ect it can also be attributed to:-
An elevated serum urate concentration
Recurrent attacks of acute arthritis in which Monosodium Urate (MSU) crystals are seen in synovial fluid
Aggregates of MSU crystals (tophi) are deposited in & around joints leading to deformity & crippling
Renal disease involving glomerular, tubular, interstitial tissue & blood vessels or kidney failure
Uric acid nephrolithiasis or kidney stones
Gout: Who are affected?
Typically, gout patients are about 95% men, 5% women.
Approximately 5 million people in the United States suffer from attacks of gout.
Gout is nine times more common in men than in women
It predominantly attacks males after puberty, with a peak age of 75. In women, gout attacks usually occur after menopause.
Gout: What are the causes?
When the level of uric acid increases, due to the inability of kidney to pass it off to bladder, it starts accumulating in the blood in different parts of body like joints, knees, etc. This excess amount of uric acid forms tiny thin crystals in different parts of body especially in the joints, ankles, etc
Obesity, excessive weight gain (especially in youth),
Moderate to heavy alcohol intake
High blood pressure
Unhealthy eating habit, especially junk food
High protein-rich food
Fructose in corn syrup found in soft drinks
Abnormal kidney function.
Nose or throat disease
Heredity or genetic causes
People who does not wear comfortable shoes and in improper way suffer from gouts. In patients at risk of developing gout, certain conditions can precipitate acute attacks of gout. These conditions include:
Dehydration
Injury to the joint
Fever
Recent surgery
Certain drugs, such as thiazide diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide [Dyazide]), low-dose aspirin, niacin, cyclosporine, tuberculosis medications (pyrazinamide and ethambutol), and others can also cause elevated uric acid levels in the blood and lead to gout.
Certain diseases lead to excessive production of uric acid in the body. Examples of these diseases include leukemia, lymphomas, and hemoglobin disorders.
Gout: What are the symptoms?
Severe pain in joints, knees, toe, etc followed by warmth, swelling, reddish discoloration, and marked tenderness.
Gout generally, attacks patient late night or early morning.
The small joint at the base of the big toe is the most common site of an acute gout attack of arthritis (podagra)
Tenderness can be intense so that even a blanket touching the skin over the affected joint can be unbearable.
Patients can develop fever with the acute gout attacks.
These painful attacks usually subside in hours to days, with or without medication. In rare instances, an attack can last for weeks.
Most patients with gout will experience repeated attacks of arthritis over the years.
Other symptoms include loss of appetite and sleep, also suffer from kidney stone. In acute cases, kidney sometimes completely Gout: How can it be diagnosed?
The most reliable test for gout is finding uric acid crystals in a sample of the joint fluid obtained by joint aspiration (arthrocentesis).
X-rays can sometimes be helpful and may show tophi-crystal deposits and bone damage as a result of repeated bouts of inflammation. X-rays can also be helpful for monitoring the effects of chronic gout on the joints.
Gout: What are the treatments?
There are two key concepts essential to treating gout. First, it is critical to stop the acute inflammation of joints affected by gouty arthritis. Second, it is important to address the long-term management of the disease in order to prevent future gouty arthritis attacks and shrink gouty tophi crystal deposits in the tissues. The treatment of an acute attack of gouty arthritis involves measures and medications that reduce inflammation. Preventing future acute gout attacks is equally as important as treating the acute arthritis. Prevention of acute gout involves maintaining adequate fluid intake, weight reduction, dietary changes, reduction in alcohol consumption, and medications to lower the uric acid level in the blood (reduce hyperuricemia).
Gout: How can it be prevented?
Prevention of gout includes maintaining adequate fluid intake and reducing alcohol consumption. Alcohol has two major effects that worsen gout by impeding (slowing down) the excretion of uric acid from the kidneys as well as by causing dehydration, both of which contribute to the precipitation of uric acid crystals in the joints Additional prevention methods include weight reduction and dietary changes.
Weight reduction can be helpful in lowering the risk of recurrent attacks of gout. This is best accomplished by reducing dietary fat and calorie intake, combined with a regular aerobic exercise program.
Medical treatment includes pain relievers such as Tylenol, anti-inflammatory medicines, and other medicines specific for gout medications.
Gout: How can diet help?
Dietary changes can help reduce uric acid levels in the blood. Meat or seafood consumption increases the risk of gout attacks; while dairy food consumption seemed to reduce the risk. Balance diet is very important to keep a healthy body
. Patient suffering from gout should survive on orange juice for a week. During this period he should be given orange juice diluted in water 2-3 times a day.
Once this period is over, he should slowly start having other fruits like apple, banana, etc.
Once patient start showing improvement, he should be given proper balanced diet rich in green leafy vegetables, fruits, whole wheat grain, etc.
Junk foods, protein-rich food like mutton, egg, etc. should be strictly avoided.
Purine-rich foods should be avoided. Examples of foods rich in purines include shellfish and organ meats such as liver, brains, kidneys, and sweetbreads.
Gout: What are the home remedies?
Home remedies which can alleviate the symptoms of acute gout include resting and elevating the inflamed joint. Ice-pack applications can sometimes make the inflammation worse by causing more uric acid to form crystals in the involved area.
Patients should avoid aspirin-containing medications, when possible, because aspirin prevents kidney excretion of uric acid. Vegetable Green leafy vegetables are highly recommended to the patients suffering from gout. Carrot, beet, cucumber, beans (French beans) are some of the useful vegetables for the treatment of gout. Patient should be given vegetable juice like carrot, beet, or French beans juice. One can mix all these vegetables and prepare a mixed-veg juice, which also is very effective for treating gout. Similarly, cabbage is also very useful for treating gout.
Take two-three cabbage leaves; boil it in water till it become soft. Drain water from the cabbage and wrap it in a perforated cloth. Cover the infected area with this. Keep it for few hours; repeat this process 2-4 times a day. This will show tremendous improvement in pain.
This is one of the important home remedies for gout. Garlic is one of the oldest home remedy used for the treatment of various chronic diseases. It is said that patient suffering from gout should at least eat 3-4 raw garlic seeds a day. Fruits Most common fruits useful for the treatment of gout include apples, banana, grapes, etc.
Patient suffering from gout should at least eat 3-4 apples a day. Grapes too are very good, as it clears off the toxic acid present along with uric acid. Similarly, banana is also a very useful fruit. Patient should take 6-8 bananas a day. In fact it is said that if a patient can survive on banana-diet at least for 2-4 days, will see tremendous positive effect in curing this disease. Honey is also an effective remedy for the treatment of gout.
Take equal amount (3-4 teaspoon) of apple extract vinegar and honey. Add this into a glass of water. Stir well and take this 3-4 times a day. This is one of the best home remedies for gout. Cherries It is also said that cherries play an important role in curing gout. Person suffering from gout should consume 10-20 cherries a day. This has a great positive effect in curing this disease.
No comments:
Post a Comment