Some people may not even have heard of gout but it can cause serious pain and problems if you get the disease. Gout is a form of arthritis and affects over 5 people out of every 1,000.
With all the messages about improving your lifestyle, cutting your weight down etc, it is strange nobody mentions the crippling pain gout can cause. Some people probably don't even know about this disease, it is not common but is crippling for those afflicted by it. As it only affects about 5 in 1000 people then this form of arthritis does not get the media coverage it deserves, plus as it is not fatal then people tend to ignore it, but for sufferers then it is a serious issue.
Gout is caused by an excess of uric acid in your body, that then forms needle shaped crystals. The crystals move around in the blood and fluids of the body, until they congregate around a joint. The crystals have a damaging effect and start to irritate the surrounding tissue. The party doesn't stop, so the tissue gets severely irritated and becomes seriously inflamed. Very suddenly, usually in the middle of the night, you have a big toe or other joint feeling like it is really on fire and burning up. The pain is abrupt, intense and liable to last for a week or more.
The intense pain and the inflammation in the affected part can be dehabilitating, usually the toe or foot. It can mean no walking other than crutches for a week or so. The area of swelling is so sensitive that anything placed over it will be extremely uncomfortable and painful. Patients report the sheet on the bed causes great pain during a gout attack. Gout does attack, but then retreats for a time and returns to attack another day.
If you take the holistic approach to gout, there are several lifestyle adaptations available for prevention or mitigation of gout. All of the recommended prevention methods are going to help you in other areas of your health as well. The first is losing weight and keeping it off, as well as a reasonable level of fitness. Extra weight on the body can lead to increased uric acid production in the body and increased risk of gout.
Your lifestyle can assist the body natural ability to remove any excess uric acid. The easiest way to help is to drink lots of water and stay hydrated. Water is essential to your body eliminating waste well, including uric acid. Another part of this practice is avoiding alcohol, especially on a regular basis. The odd drink won't cause massive problems, but you may be surprised how much you actually drink and long term drinking can increase your chances massively.
For the food aspects of diet, there are guidelines for gout prevention. Purines are the substance that your body turns into uric acid. Wild meats and foods that involve the organs in an animal are very high in purines so they may help create excess uric acid. Some delicacies such as liver, kidney, heart, and brains should be strictly limited or eliminated for maximum gout prevention. Shellfish and small oily fish such as anchovies, herring, and sardines are on the list to avoid as well.
If you follow all these changes you should be in pretty good shape overall and feeling a lot better not just because you are protecting yourself from gout, but because you are healthier overall!
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