Gouty arthritis, or simply gout, has left a long and tortured legacy through history of pain and suffering. If treated promptly and correctly, gout is a one-time thing for many sufferers, but it hasn't always been that way. The first ever recorded cases of gouty arthritis go back to ancient Egypt in the year 2640 B.C. Later, it was Hippocrates who wrote of an ailment he called podagra, or as it was known at that time, the un-walkable disease." The commonly held belief during that time was that bodily health was dictated by the four humors". It was believed that as long as the four humors were in balance with each other, proper health was maintained. When someone suffered from the un-walkable disease," it was thought that one of the humors had dropped into the infected joint and that was what caused the swelling and inflammation. Since the first reported cases of gouty arthritis, the disease has been associated with the wealthy. During the middle ages, the ailment was given the tag the disease of kings" because of its association with alcohol and rich foods. Treatment for gouty arthritis has evolved over time, as well. The use of colchicine, which is still sometimes prescribed today to cure gout, was used over two millennia ago in ancient Greece, but just for general health purposes. The first sign that this compound was used specifically for gout was in the sixth century. Today, gout is usually treated by prescribing chemical or natural substances that remove the uric acid from the body as quickly as possible. The first evidence that this method of treating gout was used was towards the end of the 19th century. There are, however, many all natural and common sense treatments for gout that don't involve taking any pills at all. A combination of diet control and small lifestyle changes can keep you gout free for life. A good first step is to lose weight. The additional stress that your joints experience makes them more vulnerable to gouty arthritis. Also, losing weight is a way to naturally lower the amount of uric acid your body retains. The less you retain, the less likely you will develop gout. Adjusting your diet so that you eat less than six ounces of lean meat a day can help keep gout away, as well. The more animal protein in your blood steam, the higher the chances are of you developing gout. You don't have to give up chicken, fish or lean meat, but in this case, enjoying a little less can benefit you. The evils of alcohol again rear their ugly head. The consumption of alcohol can limit the amount of uric acid the body disposes of. If you're a guy, limit your alcohol to two drinks a day, and if you're a woman, keep it at one. If you have acute gout, don't touch the booze at all. Believe it or not, but simply drinking an extra glass of water a day can help keep you gout-free. The more water you drink, the more uric acid gets flushed out of your system. The devilish disease known as gout has been with us since day one, and even with all the common sense precautions in the world, it will most likely be here until we're all gone. But with a few small changes in your lifestyle, you can keep the Disease of Kings in permanent exile.
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