Gout Treatment

  

Before we go into detail about gout treatment, let us first discuss what is gout, the causes, and its symptoms. Metabolic arthritis is the scientific term used for gout. This disease is generally caused by the buildup of uric acid crystals in the cartilages of the body’s tendons and joints.  According to statistics, gout is one of the most frequently recorded medical diseases throughout history.

There certainly are more men in search of gout treatment compared to women. Men are more prone to gout than women with a 9:1 ratio and this disease is known to be more prevalent in men who are 40-50 years old. As for women, gout attacks may occur after their menopausal stage. Studies concur that gout is strongly linked with diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Hereditary can also be a contributing factor of this disease. Some doctors claim that gout is a seasonal disorder since there are more reported cases of acute gout attacks during spring time

Gout Treatment – What Causes Gout?

As mentioned earlier, gout is caused the buildup of uric acid crystals in the body. Our system generates uric acid when it metabolizes the food we eat and as the body’s tissues breaks down during the natural turnover of our cells. 10% of the people with gout are those who generate excess uric acid. These affected people are clinically called “over-producers.” The other 90% of gout affected individuals are medically referred to as “under-excreters.” These people are not able to effectively eradicate uric through their urine. Genetics, a person’s age, gender, and nutrition play very important roles in the buildup of gout. But you must know that gout is never contagious.

Common Causes of Gout:

• Individuals who have one or both parents affected with gout has a 20% chance of being affected with it, too
•  Individuals who consume excessive alcoholic beverages are at higher risk in developing gout
• Individuals who have too much red meats, yeast, and fatty fish are more likely to develop gout
• Men’s uric acid levels dramatically increases during puberty, while women’s uric acid levels increases only during menopause. So it is more possible for men to develop at an early age, typically after puberty, and women tend to be affected with gout only after menopause. It is quite unusual for women to develop gout during their premenopausal stages.

Other Causes of Gout:

A gout attack can be triggered when there is a sudden increase of uric acid levels in the body caused by:

• Consuming too much alcohol and red meats in any given period
• Extreme depression or trauma
• Dehydration
• Chemotherapy
•  Medications such as aspirin, nicotine acid, allopurinol and cyclosporine
• Some types of shellfish have also been reported to increase uric acid levels which may lead to a gout arthritis attack

Gout Treatment – What Are the Symptoms of Gout?

There may be a development of gout when a person is experiencing swelling in the joints accompanied by intense pain. However, this pain is usually non-apparent in between the period of gout attacks. On the onset, gout attacks usually happen at night.

The most common joint affected by gout is the base of the big toe. But other joints can manifest gout, too, such as the knees, wrist, ankles, elbows and fingers. Acute arthritis gout attacks are generally characterized by an instant acute pain sensation in the affected joint which is usually followed by swelling, redness, warmth and tenderness. The tenderness can often be so intense that the pain is unbearable even if a blanket just touches the skin of the affected area.

Some people have also reported experiencing high fever during a gout attack. However, the pain and swelling associated with these attacks often subside in a matter of hours even without any medical treatment. But there are rare cases where a gout attack can last for several days. Unfortunately, most people who have suffered from gout attacks continue to experience these attacks over the years. And in rare extreme cases, gout can lead to a more chronic form of joint inflammation which symptoms are very similar to that of rheumatoid arthritis.

Gout Treatment – Gout Medications

There are 3 general types of gout treatment medications prescribed to treat gout and prevent gout attacks

1. Pain relievers – Since gout attacks can be unbearably painful, the first gout treatment medication the doctor may prescribe are pain relievers such as acetaminophen or other more potent pain relievers used to manage the pain

2. Anti-inflammatory medications – Swelling is another common symptom of gout so in addition to gout treatment medications, doctors also prescribe anti-inflammatory agents such as colchicines, corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are prescribed to reduce the swelling in the joints.

3. Gout treatment medications to reduce blood uric levels in the body such as:

• Allopurinol – this gout treatment medication is very effective in decreasing the blood’s uric acid level and it also helps in decreasing the generation of uric acid in the body. This medication is currently known as the supreme standard of gout maintenance therapy.
• Probenecid – this is a gout treatment medication that helps the body eradicate excess uric acid. It is highly advisable to drink at least 10 glasses of water daily when under this medication so as to help prevent the development of kidney stones formed from uric acid.
• Febuxostat – this gout treatment medication is the first of its kind in over 40 years that has been developed specifically to control gout. It has been proven to be quite effective in decreasing the generation of uric acid and it is also reliable in lowering the blood’s uric acid level.

Gout Treatment – Self-Care Remedies

You can get instant relief from the pain and swelling from gout attacks with gout treatment medications. However, there are several self-care remedies you can do at home to deal with gout attacks

• Use a cane or a similar support when you are experiencing swollen and tender joints so as to keep your weight off that particular joint
• Apply ice packets on the affected joint to reduce pain and inflammation
• Make sure to keep yourself hydrated by drinking at least 10 glasses of water daily. This will minimize the intensity and frequency of gout attacks
• Cherry juice is a very popular natural gout treatment. Try to drink 2 glasses of natural cherry juice a day.
• Avoid taking aspirins whenever possible since aspirin has the ability to inhibit your kidneys from excreting uric acid.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages, red meats, internal organs, sardines, dry beans, lentils, peas and anchovies

Meats rich in protein should be avoided, but dairy products such as cheese are known to be quite helpful in gout treatment. Celery is also a great gout treatment since it has potent natural anti-inflammatory properties that could help battle gout symptoms.

You may also want to consider regular intake of carbonated sugary sodas. Although most doctors recommend against it, these drinks have been reported to significantly reduce the occurrence of gout in several cases.

Gout should not be taken lightly and finding the right gout treatment to reduce and maybe even eliminate gout attacks can go a long way in living a life free of pain and swelling. One unbearably painful gout attack is all it usually takes to convince gout sufferers to do anything in their power to find an effective gout treatment suitable to their needs.

 

Gout Treatment @ 2011