Gout is one of the few treatable and preventable forms of arthritis, an umbrella term for dozens of conditions that cause inflammation in the joints.
What causes gout?
The buildup of uric acid in your blood from the breakdown of purines causes gout.
Certain conditions, such as blood and metabolism disorders or dehydration, make your body produce too much uric acid.
A kidney or thyroid problem, or an inherited disorder, can make it harder for your body to remove excess uric acid.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of gout almost always occur suddenly, and often at night. They include:
- Intense joint pain. Gout usually affects the large joint of you big toe, but it can occur in any joint. Other commonly affected joints include the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, and fingers. The pain is likely to be most severe within the first four to 12 hours after it begins.
- Lingering discomfort. After the most severe pain subsides, some joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks. Later attacks are likely to last longer and affect more joints.
- Inflammation and redness. The affected joint or joints become swollen, tender, warm and red.
- Limited range of motion. As gout progresses, you may not be able to move your joints normally.
Gout foods to avoid
Certain foods are naturally high in purines, which your body breaks down into uric acid. Most people do not have a problem with high-purine foods. But if your body has trouble releasing excess uric acid, you may want to avoid certain foods and drinks, such as:
- red meats
- organ meats
- certain seafood
- alcohol
Sugar-sweetened beverages and foods containing the sugar fructose can also be problematic, even though they do not contain purines.
Prevention
During symptom-free periods, these dietary guidelines may help protect against future gout attacks:
- Drink plenty of fluids. Stay well-hydrated, including plenty of water. Limit how many sweetened beverages you drink, especially those sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.
- Limit or avoid alcohol. Talk with your doctor about whether any amount or type of alcohol is safe for you. Recent evidence suggests that beer may be particularly likely to increase the risk of gout symptoms, especially in men.
- Get your protein from low-fat dairy products. Low-fat dairy products may have a protective effect against gout, so these are your best-bet protein sources.
- Limit your intake of meat, fish and poultry. A small amount may be tolerable but pay close attantion to what types – and how much – seem to cause problems for you.
Chaya can help for gout:
It participates in regulation of acid-base balance and blood pressure, excretion of the non-protein nitrogenous compounds, such as urea and uric acid, elimination of endogenous toxic waste agents.