What is Gout?

Gout is a health disorder marked by high level of uric acid in blood as a result of excess production of it, or damaged excretion of uric acid in urine. Over-production of uric acid results to formation of uric acid crystals in joints resulting to joint inflammation and pain.

What Causes Gout

• Family history: gout is acquired due to family history among one in every four gout sufferers
• Unhealthy diet: excessive consumption of high purine foods
• Hypertension
• Obesity
• Kidney disorder
• Medication: some antibiotics, aspirin, and diuretics may increase uric acid levels
• Chemotherapy

Symptoms of Gout

• Joint pain
• Swelling of joints
• Fever
• Lower back pain usually travelling to the groin
• Occasional interruption of urine stream
• Frequent urge to urine but with little urine pass

Diagnosis:

• Blood samples: take a uric acid test which require blood samples

• Anti-inflammatory Drugs to relieve pain and inflammation such as NSAIDS and coxibs
• Colchicine- to relieve pain and decrease swelling
• Allopurinol: to lower blood uric acid level- maintain this medication until uric acid level reduced back to normal range. Stop taking allopurinol in the event of an acute attack. Resume intake once inflammation eases.
• Corticosteroids

Never take medicines without proper prescriptions from your physician. It is always best to consult your doctor for proper treatment of your condition. However, in the event of an acute attack resulting to severe pain and partially disable you; take pain relievers and colchicine to ease pain and enable you to go to your doctor

There is no complete treatment for gout; once you have it, gout can occur anytime if you don’t make necessary change in lifestyle. However, you can prevent its occurrence by carefully following your doctor’s advice. Outlined below is a diet guide which is very helpful in preventing gout attack:

The only way to overcome gout is to make a lifestyle change by adjusting your diet according to the low-purine diet plan recommended by your physician. Do exercise if possible daily and avoid high purine-foods. Maintain your medication just to lower your uric acid level to normal range and once you achieve that, maintain the low purine diet to prevent your uric acid level from rising.