Gout is one of the most painful medical conditions, and 5.1 million people are affected by it. Gout has plagued mankind for thousands of years, but we are now beginning to understand its causes and find methods to treat it. Gout is primarily caused by an excess of uric acid in the blood.
There are two main sources of uric acid:
- Purines: Purines are chemicals that are found in our cells and in many foods we eat. One of the products of the body breaking down purines is uric acid.
- The kidneys produce a certain amount of uric acid.
Normally, the kidneys filter uric acid out of the blood and excrete it into the urine. However, if the kidneys do not filter out enough uric acid, it will build up in the blood. This buildup causes a condition known as hyperuricemia.
What are some causes of hyperuricemia?
- Kidney problems: If the kidneys do not filter the blood properly, they will not remove enough uric acid. Kidney damage or kidney failure can adversely affect the kidneys” ability to filter the blood. The kidneys may also produce too much or not enough uric acid, causing an imbalance leading to hyperuricemia.
- Eating the wrong foods: There are certain foods that have high amounts of purines. When the body breaks down these purines, uric acid is a resulting product.
- Foods high in purines include: Red meat, especially organ meats, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Anchovies, Herring, Some types of shellfish
- There are other things that should be avoided, as well: Alcohol, Caffeine, Sugar, Refined foods
How does hyperuricemia cause gout?
In some people with hyperuricemia, uric acid crystallizes. These crystals can deposit in the connective tissue and the fluid within the joints. These crystals can cause:
- Heat, redness, swelling, and extreme pain in the joint, usually the big toe
- Deformities
- Damage to surrounding tissue
- Joint destruction
- Nerve compression disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome
- Chronic and persistent pain
This condition is commonly known as gout, which is classified as a type of arthritis.
Treatment
In order to alleviate gout, the levels of uric acid in the blood must be decreased. A change in diet can help limit uric acid levels. Your health practitioner might also want to prescribe drugs that treat gout, although these can have harmful side effects. If you would like to try a more natural approach to improving your health, there are many options available. Results vary from person to person, but some common things that have been found to reduce gout symptoms naturally without side effects are:
- Cherries and cherry juice
- Green tea
- Vitamins C and E
- Celery seeds
- Strawberries
There are also many natural herbal remedies that can help alleviate gout symptoms.
Sources
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090/DSECTION=3
www.gout.com
I have chronic gout and the pain lasts up to 2-3 weeks at a time even after the swellings go down. It attacked my bigtoe at first then other joints in my leg and now it’s in my hand. I can barely hold a fork or spoon at times. I do not know what to eat anymore, because i don’t know what else may trigger an attack, i don’t eat red meat, mushroom, tomato, beans, bananas, salmon tilapia, sardines and a whole host more of foods and vegetables that i’ve eliminated from my diet. I am on “colchines and indocin” but this makes me sick and bloated in my stomach and i still have the pain even after the swellings go down and sometimes the swellings do come back and i have to repeat the medications.
I see your website studies show that “coffee” may lower the risk and i am going it.
I really need help and if there is any other suggestions i will be much obliged
Thanks,
Ronm
Hi Ron,
There are studies suggesting that coffee lowers gout risk, although this seems to be the case more for men who are not already diagnosed with gout.
Other sources recommend staying away from coffee as it accelerates the breakdown of protein into uric acid.
Among the other natural recommendations for easing gout are:
-Eating lots of potassium, fiber, and fresh fruit and vegetables
-Sexual activity
-The juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon with lukewarm water
-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with meals
If you continue to experience large amounts of discomfort, you may want to speak with your health care professional.
All the best!
Thank you Micro Nutra for responding, i appreciate your response.
The information is very useful to me particularly the symptoms of Gout surfacing for myself are apparently and hopefully in preliminary stage.