Gout is a type of arthritic condition. It is incredibly painful, as anyone who suffers from it will tell you. This is why everything you should know about gout: signs, symptoms, and treatments, is important for everybody. Some people experience it in a tiny area, such as just their big toe, whereas others experience it in larger joints, and several places at the same time, such as the wrist, knee, fingers, elbow, and/or ankle. It often flares up in a matter of seconds, leaving the joints sensitive to the touch, swollen, and with a burning sensation.
Everything You Should Know about Gout: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments – What Is It?
Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the bloodstream. This acid crystallizes, and those crystals are then deposited on different tissues, tendons, and joints, usually in the lower part of the body. These crystals cause extreme inflammation, which is very painful whenever there is the slightest movement in the affected area. In some cases, physicians will prescribe certain types of medication to help with the immediate pain, but the focus will be more strongly on changing your lifestyle and diet in particular, to avoiding further buildup of uric acid. For some people, the medication has an immediate positive effect, with little to no side effects. However, most people would prefer not to rely on pharmaceutical drugs, choosing instead to take a more natural approach towards diluting the uric acid that is already in the body, and avoiding the production of more. This often starts by no longer consuming any alcohol.
Everything You Should Know about Gout: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments – The Natural Approach
If you want to avoid gout and treat it naturally, you will have to switch to a diet that is low in both fat and protein. You should avoid beef, organs, and seafood in particular, as those contain purines, which are always converted into uric acid. That said, not all purines are bad, nor will they cause gout. For instance, the ones found in dairy products and spinach actually combat overproduction of uric acid. You will, however, have to avoid the majority of meats, which in turn means that you have to get the relevant nutrients from other sources. You could take a whole food vitamin supplement to be on the safe side, or you could switch to a proper vegetarian diet that ensures you still get protein, B vitamins, calcium, and more. Changing to such a diet, however, should not be done lightly and you must make sure that you know what you are doing so that you don’t develop any nutritional deficiencies.
Different vitamins are also beneficial. Vitamin C, for instance, is known to lower the uric acid level. Cranberries and citrus fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C. Black cherries are also very good, not in the least because they contain important antioxidants. You don’t have to suffer from gout, therefore, if you just make some dietary changes and see which ones have the greatest effect on you.
