Gouty Arthritis Symptoms - Oh My Aching Big Toe

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Gouty Arthritis - Do You Have It?

The joints in your big toe have been hurting really bad, and you?ve noticed that it has turned warm, red, and seems to be swelling. For a while, you ignore the pain, and thankfully it disappears for a while, only to come back at odd times with a vengeance. If you?re no longer too young, but just young at heart, then chances are, you may want to go see your doctor and ask if you might have symptoms of gouty arthritis.

This kind of arthritis is just one of the more than 100 types of diseases in this category. However, gouty arthritis is one of the most painful among these and is caused by needle-like crystals of uric acid that form in your joints (usually, in this disease, the big toe, although other joints can be affected as well, like the heel, elbow, knees, wrists, fingers, etc.). So, if you can imagine those ?needle-like crystals? pricking your joints, then you can understand why there is so much pain involved in this disease.

Gouty arthritis has four stages, namely:

1.Asymptomatic ? At this stage, the person may have tested to have elevated levels of uric acid, probably in a general medical screening, but is not experiencing any pain in any joints. The doctor usually will not prescribe any treatment at this stage, but may suggest some diet changes to prevent the condition from worsening.

2.Acute Gout ? At this stage, the person begins to feel pain, and swelling and redness of the joints, leading to what is called as a ?gouty attack?. These attacks can happen intermittently. It is a good idea to visit your doctor once you feel any acute pain in the joint area to prevent the disease from progressing.

3.Interval ? This is the ?interval? between gouty attacks, when a person is not experiencing any pain at the moment. Many people mistakenly think that the worst is over when they are in an interval stage and refuse to visit the doctor. What they don?t know is that this is exactly what it is named, an interval, and there may be an attack waiting just around the corner.

4.Chronic Gout ? When there is no or very short interval between attacks, and there is already permanent damage to the joints. Constant pain medication is needed for this type of gout and it is essential that a physician oversee this disease at this stage. If proper treatment is adhered to in the Acute Gout stage, then one may never progress to this stage.

How is Gouty Arthritis diagnosed?

If you think you are already are experiencing the attacks, when you visit the doctor, then chances are, he may ask for any one or all of the following tests:

1.Synovial Fluid Analysis ? Synovial (joint) fluid is extracted from your joints through a sterilized needle inserted in the space. The fluid has a straw-like color and is then analyzed in a lab. Normally, joint fluids that look cloudy or is thick may be abnormal.

2.Uric Acid Test ? This is done through a simple blood test taken from a vein or capillary. The blood is then tested for levels of uric acid. If it is high then it will confirm gouty arthritis

3.Joint X-ray ? An x-ray of the joint may also be needed to properly see how the arthritis has progressed in the area.

How is Gouty Arthritis treated?

Treatment of gouty arthritis is usually geared toward immediate relief and stopping the pain and inflammation that come with the attacks. Medication is also given to prevent future attacks.

One of the drugs prescribed to reduce the pain, inflammation and swelling is Colchicine and often makes the pain settle in 12 to 48 hours. This medication decreases the inflammation and therefore the pain, but it does not alter the uric acid levels in the blood, although daily use of it helps to prevent subsequent attacks.

Over-the-counter pain relievers can also be effective if it is taken at the onset of the pain.

At times, a diet low in purines is given to lessen the uric acid levels. Some foods that may have to be abstained from are beef, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish, gravy, soda pop, beer, wine, etc.

Monica Nelson writes about health topics, about women's health issues, and about specific ailments such as gout. These health articles are provided as a helpful news service and are not to be considered medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about health issues such as gout and arthritis.

Natural Ways To Alleviate Symptoms Of Gout

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Gout is a type of arthritis which is characterized by sharp shooting pains in the joints often affecting the big toe but also other joints as well and can last for a short time or days. The pain is caused by a build up of sodium urate crystals in the cartilage and tendons of your joints and can be extremely painful. Gout is persistent and can come in attacks, months or years apart. It typically starts and one joint but over the years can affect many joints and is accompanied by swelling and redness in the area.

While no one knows why a particular person may get gout, it is caused by too much uric acid in the body. if you eat a diet consisting of a lot of foods that are high in purines and chances are your body will produce too much uric acid. Therefore, one natural way to fight go is to avoid foods high in purines. these foods include red meats, liver, sardines, kidney, gravy, game meats, muscles, anchovies, sweetbreads, asparagus, shrimp, scallops, mackerel, hearing, beans, spinach and yeast.

Another dietary change that you can make to help treat gout is to avoid drinking alcohol. a study at Mass General Hospital showed that men who denied alcohol were 2.5 times more likely to get gout. beer was the worst offender in verse could be raised even by drinking as little as 10 g per day.

Cherries and cherry juice are delicious natural way to treat gout. Cherries contain flavenoids which help to reduce the high uric acid levels that lead to gout. it seems that canned cherries worked just as good as fresh and sweet works just as good as the sour. eating as few as 10 carries the day has been found to work but if you don?t like cherries you might try a tablespoon of Cherry juice concentrate.

Other natural ways to alleviate go include putting a poultice on the affected area. Some people say that a poultice of leeks helps but a charcoal poultice can work wonders too. To make a poultice you need activated powdered charcoal and ground flax seeds - mix about a quarter cup charcoal with a tablespoon of the flax seeds add in a little warm water and mix until it makes the paste. Apply to the joint and change every couple of hours. The charcoal helps to draw toxins away from the body and can also be used as a bath or simply eaten!

Perhaps the best natural remedy for gout is to simply change your lifestyle a bit. Avoid foods that are high in purines like those listed above and limit alcohol intake. It is also important to make sure that you drink plenty of water and eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Changing your dietary habits will not only help prevent attacks of gout but it will also add to your overall health and you may soon find yourself with the added bonus of extra energy, less illness, and a little bit of weight loss!

Lee Dobbins writes for http://gout.topicgiant.com where you can learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatments for gout.

Identifying Common Gout Joint Symptoms

                

>>  Get Your Treatment Now <<

 

Acute Gout

An acute attack of gout is often so typical that the diagnosis is obvious. The onset is often extremely rapid and may reach its worst within an hour or two. One obvious gout joint symptom is the local signs of inflammation in the form of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness. The bunion joint of the foot is involved in half of the first attacks. 99% of first attacks involve only one joint and usually this is a peripheral (distal) joint, such as those of the toes and feet.

The duration of the attack depends on its severity, with a mild attack settling in a few days but a severe attack persisting for several weeks. Taking anti-inflammatory medication early in the attack will often reduce its duration. As the attack subsides, the joint gradually returns completely to its normal state and a complete remission of joint inflammation occurs - very characteristic of gout joint symptoms.

Recurrent acute gout

After an initial acute attack of gout subsides, further attacks are likely to occur, usually after a long interval without symptoms. The second attack may not occur for one of two years but will almost certainly happen if the causative factors continue. Recurrences may involve either the same of a different joint. In such a case, the gout joint symptoms are similar to the acute gout attack, such as sudden onset and local inflammation of the joints. After subsidence, a further attack is again likely to occur, but the interval between attacks usually becomes shorter as more acute attacks occur. Other joint symptoms of gout will start to show up on the tip of the elbow between the tendons around the knee, or the Achilles tendon (behind the heel).

Chronic Gout

As more attacks of acute gout occur, remission is likely to be incomplete. At this stage, the following joint symptoms will be observed - urate crystal deposits within the joints are likely to damage the cartilage lining of the joints, interfering with joint function and minimizing the opportunity for repair between acute attacks. By this time, the patient may be in a state of recurrent acute attacks with very little in the way of remissions. In such a situation, inflammation may only be controlled by the constant consumption of anti-inflammatory drugs which limit the response of the inflammatory cells to the crystals. While this may control some joint symptoms, there remains the risk of an extremely severe attack involving many joints (polyarticular gout) unless the underlying cause of the attack is corrected.

For more information on the different kinds of Gout Causes, Gout Natural Remedy or Gout Diet, please visit the following website: Gout Natural Remedies & Treatment

Sky joe is a well-known author, website publisher and owner of www.mygeneralknowledge.com. ?Skyjoe. All rights reserved. This article may be freely distributed as long as it remains unaltered inclusive of the active links and the copyright notice. No alteration is allowed without express written permission from the author.