Introduction to gout Gout can be defined as the high uric acid in the body. In this situation, the body cannot excrete the uric acid properly out of the body. Uric acid, if remains in the body can cause many disturbances in the entire body systems. In many cases, kidneys are malfunctioning and therefore they cannot excrete the uric acid from blood to the urine and then gives rise to the uric acid levels in the blood. If a person eats too much food that contains any kind of uric acid, there are chances to get levels of uric acid high in the blood. Gout is often associated with the arthritis as it gives pain in the joint and therefore, gouty arthritis is one of the types of arthritis affecting musculo-skeletal system of the body. Here uric acid crystals build up in the joint and give tremendous pain. Causes of gout There are many reasons that can cause the gout. Gout could be hereditary i.e. it may run in families. You are susceptible to have this disease if your parents or forefathers had it. One can get gout if he or she overweighs. Certain other conditions such as hypertension, hypothyroidism can also cause the gouty problems in the body. Some of the kidney disorders can also cause gout, especially when the kidney is not functioning well and is unable to filter the blood from uric acid and to excrete it out in urine. Another factor that can bring gout is recent injury to any joint especially the toe. Recent surgery and certain medications like an insulin or antibiotic may also work as triggering factors for gout. Medical science also favors that excessive alcohol consumption may also lead you to gout. Some foods like shellfish, red meat, organ meat and dried peas are the food, if taken in excess, may cause gout. These foods are rich in purines that are the chemicals metabolized by the body into the uric acid. Prevention and treatment for gout One should drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins from the blood and to make kidneys work properly. For this, roughly you should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. You should also maintain your body weight by eating right, and getting enough exercise. This will help preventing gouty condition. It will also bring your blood pressure down if you tend to have hypertension. You should limit your alcohol intake as well as your consumption of foods, which increase the amount of uric acid in the body. All these precautions help preventing gout. Generally, the gout is treated with non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen that can help with the inflammation and pain, the main feature of gout. These drugs are available over the counter, but they can also be taken through prescription with proper strength if needed. In more serious cases, doctors may prescribe corticosteroid drugs like prednisone. But, these kinds of drugs may bring some serious side effects like thinning bones and reduced healing time when you are injured and have wound. Some of the Ayurvedic drugs like guggulu preparation have shown good effect on the gouty arthritis and gout condition. Some of scholars suggest Panchkarma as said in Ayurvedic science as an effective treatment for gout. Gout is caused by an excess of uric acid which accumulates in the system forming crystals which are caught in the spaces between the joints and cause inflammation and irritation. Thus an excruciating pain is created in thumb, knee or elbow and, most commonly, the big toe. The area affected becomes painful overnight, swells, turns a deep, throbbing fed. This is something that can happen to anyone although it is frequently viewed with hilarity by one’s friends who traditionally view it as a form of divine retribution for too much high living and overindulgence. The best and most devious home remedy for gout that I have heard of to date is that of advising the patient to get undressed in the early evening hours, swathe him or herself in blankets and sit in hot water up to the knees prior to retiring to bed before 10 o’clock. Sweating will reduce the uric acid in the body and make the condition more comfortable but more to the point this remedy kept the patient immobilized and at the mercy of the nurse who then removed all alcoholic nightcaps from within reach. The trouble is that the pain is so awful that a stiff drink promises the only anodyne, but alcohol, rich or acid foods and red meat are all absolutely taboo. Working on the principle that â€what kills may cure’ the wealthy society of yesteryear wrapped the afficted toe around with raw red beef, a civilized improvement on the Tibetan remedy of rancid milk. Butter and cow dung. People who suffer from gout are, understandably, extremely bad tempered and undoubtedly resent the sniggers it causes. Sympathy and a visit to a professional practitioner are essential as gout may be just a visible symptom of a more serious underlying ailment. Do not take painkillers, not even aspirin, unless prescribed. Make life as comfortable as possible by keeping the foot raised and wadded with cotton wool to protect it from being knocked. Pleasant soothing herbal teas, a light diet and any entertainment guaranteed to keep the blood pressure down are the best answers although there are alternatives. A poultice may seem a practical method of curing gout but the likelihood of a patient welcoming one’s approach with a view to applying a hot poultice or hot and cold compresses is, as has been suggested, remote in the extreme. Goutwort (goutweed or ground elder), as the name implies, was considered the ultimate remedy for the aching joints caused by gout, rheumatism and sciatica. A poultice of the leaves an act as home remedy for gout but a more appropriate solution would be to eat the leaves in salads as a preventative measure although they have a slightly disagreeable flavour unless picked very young. Bran and vinegar poultice or tallow and garlic shared equal popularity with a thick covering of treacle or honey applied on a flannel cloth. However the most highly prized infusion with which to bathe a gouty toe was made from meadow saffron which, in the language of flowers, means my best days are over †a message hardly conducive to improving the patient’s spirits! Dandelion and burdock tonic, which tastes not unlike beer, is a pleasant enough drink for those whose alcoholic taste buds are suffering withdrawal symptoms but at the same time it acts as a valuable diuretic. Apples, onions, pears, mustard seeds and juniper berries were all considered necessary to the patient’s diet whilst sweetcorn, cooked with its tassels on. Is still used extensively in some parts of Europe. It is quite clear, however, that any drink or food which might be suggested as a cure for gout is, in effect, either a mild sedative or a diuretic.
Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
