Gout Treatment and Prevention

A type of painful arthritis, gout is the inflammation of the joints, due to excess uric acid in the body. This is a metabolic disease where the uric acid crystals build up in the joints, causing extreme pain. The level of uric acid increases due to the inability of the body to process purine, a type of protein or the inability to remove excess uric acid. The gout treatment and prevention includes a special gout diet menu that helps decrease the level of uric acid. Before we learn how to prevent gout and its treatment, let us learn about gout causes and symptoms.

Gout Causes and Symptoms
If you're wondering about what causes gout, then you need to know that It is seen that gout is mostly an inherited condition wherein the body fails to remove the excess uric acid from the body. When an individual eats gout causing foods that are rich in purine, like meat, it causes elevated levels of uric acid. After the level of uric acid reaches a certain concentration amount, it starts to precipitate in the form of monosodium urate crystals. These crystals are then deposited in the connective tissue and spaces between the joints, that leads to very painful inflammation.

This does not mean that any individual with hyperuricemia or high uric acid levels in the blood will suffer from gout symptoms. So, it may be due to a rapid change in the level of uric acid that may lead to gout. Other gout causes that increase the risk of gout due to high uric acid levels include dehydration, fever, heavy drinking, heavy eating, crash diets, recent surgery and injury. People who are obese, have high blood pressure, abnormal kidney function and are under certain medications, like diuretic medications, may also suffer from gout.

The gout attack occurs in four stages; asymptomatic, acute, intercritical and chronic. Thus, the gout symptoms differ according to the stages. So, if one develops severe pain in the joint with swelling and warmth around the joint, red and shiny skin on joint, mild fever and white, firm lumps under the skin, then it indicates gout. So, now that you know what is gout and its causes, let us go onto gout treatment and prevention.

Gout Treatment and Prevention
The gout treatment and prevention regime basically aims to reduce the excruciating pain in people with this condition. An acute gout attack can occur in the big toe and this condition is called 'podagra'. Other areas where gout attack can occur include ankles, knees, wrists, fingers and elbows. The gout attacks occur due to a metabolic disorder, unlike other arthritis diseases that are due to an immune system response.

After the doctor examines the aspirated joint fluid using a polarizing light microscope and confirms presence of urate crystals, only then does the treatment begin. It is seen that over 1 million people in United States need to undergo gout treatment and prevention. It is seen that gout is more common in men than women and gout attacks are common in women after menopause.

The gout treatment includes making use of gout medications that help in easing pain and swelling due to a gout attack. This includes non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), that help in relieving the inflammation and pain. If a patient cannot take NSAIDs, the doctor may prescribe colchicine that helps in reducing the pain, soon after the symptoms appear. However, possible side effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Corticosteroids also help in controlling the inflammation and so are used as a part of gout pain treatment. Other medications may also include medication that block the production of uric acid and those that help in removal of uric acid.

How to Prevent Gout
There are some possible ways that answer the question how to prevent gout. You can try gout prevention by trying the following methods:

• Increase the fluid intake in your diet and you need to limit or completely avoid alcohol
• You should eat a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, fat-free or low-fat milk, etc.
• Eat low-fat dairy products as much as possible
• Reduce the meat, fish and poultry products in your diet
• You should reduce your weight to the desirable weight according to your height and age

This was all about gout causes, symptoms and treatment. Also given above are some of the gout treatment and prevention options that you should try to keep away an attack. You can try a lifestyle change to prevent gout and manage your condition with the help of some gout home remedies. If you have any further doubts, you should speak to a medical expert and follow his advice.