What are the Best Diets for Gout?

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Gout is a pretty nasty form of arthritis that comes on suddenly and can leave the sufferer in a lot of pain. It's also the only form of arthritis that is directly affected by what you eat. But before we look at the best diets for gout, we'll take a look at how gout develops and why the wrong food choices can have such a devastating effect.

Gout is caused by an excessive build up of uric acid in the blood, which often leads to uric acid crystal deposits in the spaces between the joints and the soft connecting tissues around them. It is these sharp, rough edged crystals that cause gout symptoms; a hot, red, swollen, stiff and very painful joint.

Gout attacks can come on fast and often strike at night, waking you up with a throbbing joint, most commonly the big toe. Gout usually flares up in the feet or ankle joints, as uric acid crystals need cooler temperatures to form. As the feet, and in particular the big toe, are furthest away from the heart, they are the coolest parts of the body. However, this isn't always the case as gout can strike anywhere - wrists, fingers, elbows, knees etc.

The build up of uric acid in the blood is usually because the body is struggling to process it eliminate it at an appropriate rate. Uric acid is a natural product found in the body and is also produced whne the body breaks down purine - a compound found in animal protein and other foods.

The inability to eliminate uric acid swiftly and efficiently can often be a hereditary issue, or point to a compromised kidney function.

Uric Acid is dissolved in the blood stream and eliminated from the body via the kidneys in your urine. Should your kidneys not be running at optimum levels uric acid elimination slows down and increased levels of uric acid are found in the blood stream.

A person can have high levels of uric acid in their blood stream and not go on to develop gout, however for those people who do it can be a debilitating disease, impinging on your daily activities and even leaving some people housebound during a bad flare-up.

You can rely on medications to reduce your uric acid production, however, following a gout friendly diet can be enough for some people to stop gout from striking again. So, what are the best diets for gout?

Well, following a low fat, low calorie, low purine diet is a great way to reduce the level of purines intake, and therefore, reduce the amount of uric acid.

The worst offenders for high purine foods are organ meats, red meats, processed meats, and shellfish, legumes and yeast extracts. By avoiding these foods or dramatically reducing them in you diet, you'll lower the purine entering your body and thereby reduce the amount of uric acid your body produces.

While following a low purine diet you should cut out or heavily restrict your consumption of alcohol, especially beer and wine, as alcohol increases uric acid production. Alcohol also puts a strain on the kidneys; as they are busy processing the alcohol, the uric acid elimination is delayed, leading to a build up in the blood stream.

If you want to have a drink or two, ensure that you alternate with water or fruit juices to keep your body hydrated. Avoid soda though, as that can impact on your uric acid levels.

Alcohol aside, it is really important as a gout sufferer to keep your body hydrated at all times. Drink at least 8 - 10 eight glasses of water a day. If you find water too boring, try adding some fruit juice to it. By staying hydrated you are diluting uric acid levels in the bloodstream and also making it easier for your kidneys to expel excess uric acid via urine.

By getting your uric acid levels to an acceptable level the probability of suffering further gout attacks diminishes. You'll find more information on the best diets for gout on our site and by signing up for our free newsletter.

By Lisa McDowell. Sign up for a free newsletter & discover which are the best diets for gout and how they can be an effective as a natural cure for gout.

Coping With Gout - Home Treatments

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Gout is a disease involving inflammation of the joints and usually it occurs recurrently. The disorder is very painful and if proper care is not taken, serious complications like deformity of the bones and other critical diseases may ensue.

Unfortunately, there is no absolute cure for gout. The best method to combat gout is to alter the manner of living, and to take some preventive measures. In case of a gout attack, some home remedies can help alleviate the pain and provide some relief.

Application of elm leaf tea is said to reduce the inflammation and the pain.

The healing process is quickened if safflower is taken in capsule form.

The intake of a few teaspoonful of baking soda in water increases the blood pH and helps lower the possibility of crystallization of uric acid ? the primary cause of gout.

Celery seeds infused in water and simmered until soft, when taken several times a day help eliminate gout by increasing excretion of uric acid. The celery seeds are believed to contain several anti-inflammatory agents that are supposed to be beneficial in reducing the swelling of the joints. However, this should not be consumed by pregnant women or by patients suffering from kidney troubles.

The leaf of cabbage is believed to contain an enzyme that eliminates the crystals formed around the gout-affected joint. At the time of a gout attack, some cabbage leaves should first be chilled in the freezer and then be placed around the affected joint. Then the leaves should be covered with a piece of cloth and left until the leaves have thawed. This will help reduce the pain.

A ginger bath, prepared by mixing ground ginger with water, can be used as a home remedy for gout. The affected joint should be soaked in the bath for about an hour and then a hot shower should be taken to completely remove all ginger from the skin. Otherwise, ginger sticking to the skin may cause skin irritation.

Mullein leaves soaked in a mixture of hot vinegar and water and applied to the affected area has been shown to allay the sufferings produced by gout.

If the symptoms of gout persist and increase in severity, then a doctor should be consulted.

Want to learn more about Home Gout Treatments?, feel free to visit us at: http://www.about-goat.info/Articles/Arthritic_Gout.php

Symptoms of Arthritic Gout

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Gout can happen to anyone from young to old, from male to female. Arthritic gout can occur at any time after puberty until the age of seventy-five. Researches have shown that arthritic gout is more common in men than woman. It is caused by painful attacks in the joints due to the deposition of uric acid crystals. Arthritic gout attacks can last for a few minutes to a few days and the intensity of these attacks usually varies as well. There are various avenues for arthritic gout patients to treat their gout symptoms. Arthritic gout patients can consult professional doctors to get medications to help reduce the pain during an attack or even prevent gout attacks from occurring. There are also natural remedies, which arthritic gout patients can consider to help cure them of gout. Maintaining a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly is also very important in the process of curing arthritic gout.

For some patients with mild arthritic gout, they can easily control the number of gout attacks experience by changing their daily diet and exercise more regularly. By eating foods that produce less uric acid is a good starting point. Since arthritic gout is caused by the excess production of uric acid in the body, by controlling the uric acid in the body, one can easily control the gout symptoms. Arthritic gout patients should try to cut down on their meat intake and eat more fruits and vegetables instead. The reason for doing so is because meat has been found to increase the uric acid in the body. Taking note of the different types pf food items, which will cause the body to produce uric acid and incorporating a regular exercising schedule can control arthritic gout controlled effectively.

Arthritic gout has become a very common illness. There are some patients who just simply live with the pain while others seek medical help or use a natural remedy to help ease the pain. There are some people who try to improve their arthritic gout conditions by changing their daily diet with healthier food choices, which are recommended for arthritic gout patients. There are some cases where arthritic gout patients just ignore the pain they experience as they feel that it is not a serious problem and deals with it only when it comes.

Arthritic gout attacks are unpredictable and can come anytime and last for even up to a few days. It is crucial for arthritic gout patients to be well informed of their situations and explore helps to prevent further attacks from occurring or at least lower the amount of pain experience. At the initial stage, arthritic gout might seem like a small problem but over a long period of time exposed to frequent gout attacks, the patients might actually experience joints deformations. To prevent arthritic gout from becoming a more serious problem, it is important to seek help as early as possible.

Want to learn more about Gout Symptoms?, feel free to visit us at: http://www.about-goat.info/Articles/Gout_Symptoms.php

Gout And Its Symptoms

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Gout is also known as crystal-induced arthritis. It is a medical condition that sets in when uric acid crystals collect on the joints. Uric acid is a metabolic end product that is formed at the time the body breaks down purines present in certain food items. In normal conditions, the uric acid gets dissolved in the blood and gets eliminated from the body through the kidneys into the urine. However, people having a propensity for gout have such high levels of uric acid in their blood that the acid precipitates out in the form of crystals. The crystals get accumulated on the joints and other tissues, leading to inflammation and excruciating pain.

The disease can be hereditary. It is caused mainly by a sedentary lifestyle and by the excessive intake of high-seasoned animal food, and alcohol. The signs and symptoms of gout are as follows:

- Gout seldom occurs before the age of thirty and is much more common in men than in women. In almost 90 percent of incidences of gout, men over the age of 40 and menopausal women are affected. The attack is more liable to occur in the spring or during the fall season than in the summer or winter.

- The first attack of gout generally commences suddenly during the night. The patient experiences acute pain in the first joint of the great toe of one foot, and awakens. By the morning the toe joint becomes much swollen, assumes a bright red tint, and feels very sore to touch.

- Slight chills followed by fever and restlessness may ensue.

- Remission of the pain and the fever occurs towards the morning, and the patient wants some rest. However, in severe cases, there is little relief until the second morning when the pain abates but the joint becomes more swollen.

- When the swelling is pressed by the tip of the finger a depression remains even after the pressure is removed.

- During the fever the patient feels heightened thirst and the urine is scanty.

- The pain, fever and restlessness may recur the following night, but again subside in the morning, and thus the disease continues and lasts from five to ten days if not arrested sooner by treatment.

- The swelling usually persists for some time, and the skin peels off, along with constant itching.

- The first attack heralds the return of the disease after a few years, if the patient does not entirely change his manner of living. Afterwards, the attacks become more frequent. Gradually gout can spread to other parts of the body, like the ankles, the instep, the heels and the knees, the wrists and fingers of the hand and the elbows. Several joints may be affected all at once. In severe cases, after the patient has suffered from repeated attacks, even the shoulders, hips or spine can be affected. Gout does not spread from one joint to the next.

- The very first attack may not always commence in the first joint of the great toe, but may sometimes affect the ball of the foot or the ankle, and occasionally one of the fingers of the hand or the wrist.

- Patients suffering from gout are subject to abject heartburn and sour stomach.

- A chronic condition can lead to the formation of tophi ? lumps formed under the skin due to large deposits on severely affected joints of the elbow, fingers and toes, and even on the external pinna.

- Due to the deposition of the chalky uric acid crystals within and around the joints, movement is hampered and deformity of the joint occurs.

Want to learn more about Gout Symptoms Sign?, feel free to visit us at: http://www.about-goat.info/Articles/Gout_Symptoms.php

5 Simple and Effective Gout Home Treatment Ideas

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Gout home treatment may be another alternative remedy you can use instead of, or as a compliment to tissue salts. There are different home remedies that can help treat gout, and many of them are practical treatments that are easy to use and follow.

Here are 5 gout home treatment options you can consider:

1. Low-purine diet ? One of the best natural gout treatments you can follow is to control your diet by eliminating foods that are high in purines, which are known to trigger and worsen attacks of gout. In fact, it is estimated that half of uric acid produced by the body is a result of purine rich foods consumed in the diet.

Studies have found that by following a low purine diet that focuses on eliminating high purine foods (I.E. organ meats, wild game, meat extract, gravies, sardines, anchiovies, scallops, mackerel, sweetbreads, etc.), and encourages vegetable protein, dairy products and increased water intake, can effectively decrease and prevent sudden painful gout attacks.

Keep in mind that some foods high in purines contain certain essential nutrients your body requires such as protein. Therefore, you will need to ensure you replace them so your body is receiving adequate nutrients to stay healthy. Speak to your doctor or dietitian about what foods contain the nutrients you need and are safe for your condition. You may also want to consider taking a multivitamin.

2. Water ? Believe it or not, but water is actually an excellent gout home treatment. Not only is water safe to drink and side-effect free, but drinking plenty of it daily aids in proper digestion and will actually help you flush excess uric acid out of your system. Furthermore, drinking plenty of water can help prevent kidney stones and help those suffering from an uncomplicated case of stones pass them.

It is important to lower your intake of beverages that cause dehydration such as alcoholic and caffeinated drinks (I.E. soda, coffee, tea). Stick to hydrating beverages including water (8 ? 10 glasses daily), herbal tea and fruit juice.

3. Cherries or cherry juice ? Cherries are an effective gout home treatment. Cherries, in all their forms (I.E. Fruit ?canned, dried, fresh, black, red sour and sweet yellow cherries or cherry juice), have been found to prevent gout attacks and help alleviate inflammation during an attack.

If using cherries as a natural remedy for gout, here are some guidelines:
Cherry fruit ? eat at least 10 cherries and no more than half a pound daily...or
Cherry juice ? 1 6 oz glass of cherry juice 1-2 times daily.

Note: Although cherries have no known side effects, eating too much of one food can cause stomach distress (I.E. constipation, diarrhea, etc.). Therefore, while you should keep the above guidelines in mind and not exceed them, you should ingest the amount your body is comfortable with.

4. Charcoal poultice - Charcoal poultice is a gout home treatment remedy that reduces inflammation. It is created by mixing half a cup of activated powdered charcoal with 3-7 tbs. of grounded flaxseed. When the mixture becomes mealy, warm water is then added to turn it into paste. The paste (charcoal poultice) is placed on the inflamed joint and covered with a plastic or cloth dressing. Dressings should be changed approximately every 4 hours and can be left on over night.

Be advised, charcoal poultice will stain virtually any fabric it touches. Check online or at your local nutritional store for active charcoal powder.

5. Rest and Relaxation ? Resting a gout-inflamed joint is a mandatory home gout treatment if you want the joint to heal faster. Keep the affected joint elevated and stay off it as much as you can so you don?t aggravate the inflammation further. In addition, make sure you keep the joint warm or cool ? whatever makes it feel most comfortable and less tense to reduce joint stress.

Although most gout home treatment remedies are safe and effective, they shouldn?t replace your doctor?s advice. Make sure you consult your doctor first before staring any gout treatment plan.

By Lisa McDowell. Sign up for a free newsletter & discover how to treat your gout symptoms with a exercise as an effective natural cure for gout. Discover how home gout treatment ideas can get rid of gout.