Gout: Symptoms, Factors, Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Natural Remedies

Reliablecounter Team

 

Gout is a disease that fall under the category of arthritis and it is a complex form. This disease is caused by excess uric acid in the bloodstream. It is also caused due to excess consumption of alcohol because the excess consumption of alcohol decreases the kidney’s function to filter the uric acid from the body and results to trigger the formation of gout. And also the high purine alcoholic beverages may result in the formation of gout.

 

Affected Areas

Gout can affect almost anywhere in the body but mostly if affects joints that includes the ankles and knees. There are bumps formed under the skin in gout and they can appear on the hands, ears, elbows and the fingers.

 

Symptoms of Gout

The signs of gout mostly appear to you suddenly. People often believe it’s a normal pain due to routine excretion but it suddenly grows severe. One must keep a complete check if they feel they are suffering from gout. Following are the symptoms one can see instantly when one is suffering from gout.

  • Intense joint pain.
  • Lingering discomfort.
  • Affected joints are inflammatory.
  • Joints become extremely tender.
  • Joints are swollen and red.
  • Movement of joints is difficult and painful.

Factors that cause Gout

Gout is formed due to increase in the uric acid level in the body. There are a number of factors that cause high uric acid problems in the body. Following are the factors that cause gout in the body.

  • Diet that includes meat, seafood or drinking alcoholic beverages.
  • Obesity leads to the production of more uric acid in the body.
  • Medical conditions that may cause high uric acid.
  • Medications that increase the uric acid.
  • Family history of gout disease.
  • Age and sex.
  • Recent surgery.

 

Prevention of Gout

One must follow the following points in order to avoid gout attacks. It can be prevented if handled with care.

  • Drink plenty of fluids.
  • Limit or avoid the alcohol consumption.
  • Limit the intake of meat.
  • Limit the intake of fish.
  • Limit the intake of poultry.
  • Get your proteins from low-fat dairy products.
  • Maintain a desirable body weight.

 

Diagnosis

There are few medical tests that help in the diagnosis of gout. A doctor may recommend any one of them according to the condition of the patient. Following are the tests that would help:

  • Joint fluid test
  • Blood test
  • X-ray imaging
  • Ultrasound
  • Dual energy CT scan

 

Treatment

Normally the gout disease is treated by medications. Medications are given by the doctor according to the condition of your gout. Your health is also to be measured before the recommendation of the medicine. These medicines can treat gout and can also help in the prevention of gout. Following are the main drugs that are used to treat gout.

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
  • Medications that block uric acid production i.e. the drugs called xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOIs), including allopurinol (Aloprim, Lopurin, Zyloprim) and febuxostat (Uloric)
  • Medication that improves uric acid removal and these are the drugs, called uricosurics, include probenecid (Probalan) and lesinurad (Zurampic).

 

Natural Remedies

There are a large number of natural remedies that help you prevent gout attacks and even help you to cure gout attacks. Following is the list of all the naturally occurring treatment for gout.

  • Cherries: cherries can be the any berry that is sour, sweet, black or any berry juice from this which have the potential to prevent the gout attacks in the body. There have been surveys which show three cherry a day can help you reduce the risk factors of gout.
  • Magnesium: Magnesium is a very important dietary mineral for the body. It claims to be very effective and good for the chronic inflammatory stress that appears to be in the body during gout attack. Magnesium supplements area a natural remedy for the body or any food that is in rich magnesium. This also decreases the risk of gout in the body.
  • Ginger: the very well-documented natural remedy for the gout. This helps to reduce the intense pain caused by gout in the body. Ginger is made into paste and then applied on the affected areas for pain relief.
  • Warm water with lemon juice, turmeric and apple cider vinegar is also a very effective natural remedy. Mix these ingredients in warm water to make a juice (2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and half squeezed lemon). One must drink this juice twice a day for effective results.
  • Celery seeds are used to treat the urinary problems in the body when we use these seed for gout we treat the pain with it. We can use these seeds in any form to treat gout.
  • Nettle Tea also is the one of the strongest natural remedy that reduces the inflammation and pain caused in the body due to gout.
  • Dandelion are the supplements that are used to treat the liver and kidney issues in the body and result in lowering the uric acid problems that are caused due to the dysfunction of liver and kidney.
  • Milk Thistle Seed are naturally used to improve the health of the liver. As the liver plays an important role in the formation of uric acid a healthy liver reduces high uric acid problems in the body.
  • Hibiscus is a flower or it can be in the form of tea. It is also a natural herbal remedy that is used to treat gout.
  • Topical Cold or Hot application the affected areas such as the joint which can be the ankle or the knee can also be treated with the application of cold or hot water that may relief the pain or reduce it the bearable condition.
  • Apples happen to be a fruit that reduces gout as apples contain malic acid that reduces uric acid in the body.
  • Epsom Salts a bath in the Epsom salt also helps in the prevention of gout.