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Gout (gout, gout, arthritis). Formerly, it was described as a disease of rich people, most often affecting men in their prime. It is an acute arthritis that is treated with proper diet and medication. How to deal with this ailment?
Gout, otherwise known as gout (when it involves the big toes) or arthritis, is a disease for which extremely violent and painful arthritis is specific. Joint pain should be consulted with your primary care physician. He will help to detect the cause of the ailments and refer you to further tests.
Gout usually affects the metatarsophalangeal joint, and can also appear as tophi and kidney stones. Gout is also caused by elevated levels of uric acid, which, having no outlet, crystallizes and accumulates in the joints, tendons and the surrounding tissue. Occupied places become swollen, red and extremely painful.
Gout – symptoms
The symptoms of gout are recurrent attacks of arthritis (usually those at the base of the big toe, although gout often also affects the ankle, fingers, knee or wrist). Symptoms usually worsen at night and last for several hours, which is the result of low body temperature at that time. In addition to unpleasant pain, fatigue and high temperature may also appear.
Supplementing with Chanca piedra YANGO on the urinary system can reduce the frequency of attacks by regulating uric acid levels.
Crystallizing uric acid in the vicinity of the joints can lead to bone erosions, which in turn lead to chronic arthritis. It happens that these ailments disappear within a few days. After the first gout attack, there is a period of withdrawal from all symptoms. Lack of immediate diagnosis and treatment makes subsequent attacks more severe and affects the remaining joints.
In the event of disturbing symptoms, appropriate diagnostic tests are recommended. You can buy a gout test package quickly and safely at Medonet Market.
- Uric acid in the blood. Know the standards
Gout is divided into several stages:
- interictions;
- acute bouts of arthritis;
- the period of asymptomatic hyperuricemia;
- chronic (advanced) gout.
An acute attack of gout, or acute arthritis, develops as a result of large fluctuations in the concentration of uric acid in the synovial fluid. The immediate factors that can trigger a seizure include: exercise, alcohol, food containing a significant amount of purine compounds, surgery, trauma, as well as certain medications (e.g. allopurinol).
Test uric acid levels in your body. Order Multifunction meter – glucose, cholesterol, uric acid – NOVAMA MultiCheck Pro +, with which you can additionally check the level of glucose and cholesterol.
In the course of an acute attack of gout, redness and swelling appear in the affected joint, and the pain gradually increases to reach its apogee after about 8–12 hours. If left untreated, a seizure can last for hours, up to a week or two.
In the prevention of diseases of the osteoarticular system, it is worth using appropriate supplementation. Solgar 7 contains an extract of ginger, turmeric rhizomes and white willow bark, which are helpful in rheumatic diseases and have a positive effect on motor ability.
Gout – drugs
In the event of gout symptoms, it is urgent to contact a doctor who will examine and assess whether they actually indicate this disease. Your doctor will recommend an appropriate treatment. After diagnosing the disease, you should be under the care of a rheumatologist – you can buy a doctor’s appointment at Medonet Market. To make the symptoms less bothersome, you can apply ice or simply stiffen the affected joints.
What is used to treat gout: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids or colchicine. It is very important to react quickly and implement treatment!
If you experience the first symptoms of gout, be sure to consult a doctor. Make an online teleconsultation with your family doctor, who will provide you with answers to your questions and learn about further treatment options.
Gout – causes
Increased levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) are due to reduced kidney function. In order to counteract kidney diseases, it is worth strengthening them with appropriate supplementation. The Now Foods brand offers the Kordyceps dietary supplement, the natural composition of which improves the functioning of the kidneys.
Gout also occurs as a result of improper diet: 12 percent. diseases are caused by eating too much products rich in purines, i.e. chemicals responsible for the formation of uric acid. So avoid fructose-sweetened beverages, seafood and meat. Alcohol can also contribute to the development of gout.
Gout may also result from a genetic predisposition. People with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, suffering from a partial or complete deficiency of the enzyme responsible for controlling uric acid levels, often also struggle with arthritis. Also, patients who have recently had surgery, are dehydrated, are infected or have other serious illnesses are at risk of developing gout.
Other factors that affect your likelihood of developing gout:
- overweight;
- obesity;
- hypertension;
- coronary artery disease,
- diabetes;
- lipid disorders.
Gout – diagnosis
For a doctor to make a diagnosis of gout, it must be distinguished from other joint diseases. In the diagnosis of gout, it is recommended to perform uric acid concentration and the daily loss of uric acid in the urine. Elevated levels of uric acid usually indicate gout, but it may happen that during an acute attack of gout, its levels will be normal. The analysis of the synovial fluid under a microscope is an examination that can clearly confirm the diagnosis. During the examination, fluid is taken from the diseased joint and the presence of sodium urate crystals in it is looked for. The advantage of this diagnosis is also the ability to distinguish between gout and pseudogout (presence of other crystals in the joints).
In the diagnosis of gout, X-ray is also used, which allows you to locate erosions, tophus or joint gap narrowing (they may only become apparent at an advanced stage of the disease). Additionally, ultrasound of the joints is also used.
Treatment of gout
Gout treatment aims to quickly relieve pain and prevent future gout attacks.
The patient should take anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs prescribed by the doctor, and in the case of long-term and recurring symptoms, it is recommended to use allopurinol (reducing uric acid production) or probenecid (increasing its excretion). It is important to prompt diagnosis and treatment of conditions that may accompany gout, such as:
- lipid and carbohydrate disorders,
- urolithiasis,
- obesity,
- kidney disease
- hypertension.
If necessary, the doctor may also recommend surgical removal of urate nodules and kidney stones.
What treatment to use at different stages of gout:
- hyperuricemia: first of all, it is important to change the lifestyle, pharmacological treatment is not necessary at this stage;
- an acute attack of gout: It is recommended to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or colchicine to relieve pain as soon as possible. Attention! at this stage of gout, you should not use a treatment that reduces the concentration of uric acid, as it may, contrary to appearances, aggravate the symptoms;
- interictal period: Keep uric acid levels low to prevent seizures. Sometimes it is suggested to use medications to reduce uric acid levels in the blood;
- chronic gout: in chronic gout, the further development of the disease is inhibited and its complications are treated. In this case, allopurinol is mainly used to block the production of uric acid.
In the case of gout, support your body with the right herbs. Try Gout – a herbal blend available on Medonet Market. In it you will find thistle vegetable herb, ground elderberry leaf, white robinia flower.
Diet for gout
Recovery of gout patients can certainly be ensured by a change in lifestyle and an appropriate diet. Gout is often developed by consuming foods rich in the aforementioned purines. For this reason, it is recommended for patients with gout low purine diet.
One of the goals of the gout diet is to reduce fat and increase carbohydrate intake.
To prevent recurrence of the disease, it is advisable to limit high-content foods – offal, meats (beef, pork, bacon), venison, fatty sauces and beer. During the consultation, a dietitian will help you compose an appropriate menu. Before the visit, it is worth doing a blood analysis to make its help even more effective. The appropriate composition of the menu is of considerable importance and is treated as a dietary treatment.
A low-purine diet consists in excluding from the menu, e.g..:
- yeast;
- offal;
- venison;
- bone extracts;
- marine fish such as sardines, herring and sprats;
- mushrooms;
- spinach;
- legumes;
- coffee and tea;
- cocoa.
Among the products that should be avoided in the case of arthritis, it is worth mentioning cold cuts, canned food, fatty foods, alcohol, as well as spicy spices, bone and mushroom decoctions and rhubarb. It is better to avoid preparing food by frying and baking, and you can use flour to thicken it. Vegetables and fruit should be eaten raw or cooked.
People with gout who want to limit purines may choose lean meat, but it is recommended to cook it in a lot of water. Other foods that can be included in a low purine diet include eggs, skim milk, dairy products, grains, rice, honey, sugar, vegetables and fruit. Drinking fluids with lemon may have a positive effect on the reduction of hyperuricemia.
Doctors indicate that obese people have a higher risk of recurrence of gout symptoms, which is why, in addition to a healthy diet, it is also advisable to take care of physical activity.
Additional dietary recommendations for patients with gout:
- eating 4 to 5 meals a day, preferably at regular intervals;
- eat the last meal of the day at least three hours before bedtime;
- if, in addition to gout, the patient suffers from kidney stones, he should drink three liters of fluids every day;
- during an acute attack of gout, special care must be taken with regard to the diet – then a diet without meat is recommended, and the most recommended solution is gruel.
Did you know that cherries help with gout? Read more!
We also recommend freeze-dried cranberries by weight, which is recommended for diseases of the urinary system.
Gout – frequency of occurrence
Gout is most common in about 2% of the population, mainly men and the elderly. In this group of people, gout occurs as arthritis (7% of men aged 65 and over). The fact is that gout is more common in people who do not care about their diet and their health.
Women are in a way privileged because they have gout much less frequently and only after the menopause. The exception may be the occurrence of acute attacks of gout in women with a genetic predisposition to this disease.
When you are in the perimenopausal period, it is worth starting to use appropriate supplementation. The botanical complex for women is a supplement whose natural composition supports the body and helps to gently pass the menopause.
The disease turns into a chronic form after 10 or a dozen years. Symptoms are still present (permanent), but of low intensity. Sodium urate crystal deposits spoil the bone epiphyses and cartilage, causing erosions. This leads as a consequence to deformation of the joints and their impaired efficiency.
Uric acid crystals can deposit in other places (e.g. the auricle, joints of hands and feet) causing so-called tophus. A white matter may come out of them. Unfortunately, nodules can find a place in internal organs, which in turn can lead to nerve compression and organ damage (e.g. kidneys). In such a situation, it is very often necessary to remove them surgically.
Multi-arthritis in gout can be mistaken for RA.
The likelihood of developing chronic gout increases:
- when the first attack of arthritis occurs in a young person;
- when seizures are not treated for a long time;
- when a patient has gout attacks four times a year on average;
- when gout tends to occupy the joints of the upper limbs.
A chance to cure gout
Rapid diagnosis of gout and implementation of treatment increases the chance of symptom relief and recovery. It is important to get rid of the factors that contribute to the emergence of the disease: alcohol, smoking or poor diet. It should be remembered that untreated gout can cause reduced mobility.
After the treatment is finished, you should maintain a healthy lifestyle and a proper diet. It is also important to monitor blood pressure, body weight and periodically test the level of lipids and glucose. Nissei Comfort is a blood pressure monitor with automatic measurement that allows you to control blood pressure at home.