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It was called the disease of kings. And there is something to that. Its cause is excessive consumption of meat, cured meats, offal, and excessive alcohol drinking. Today, stress and other foods that contain preservatives and other additives also play a role. Gout is caused by uric acid, which the body cannot excrete, and it deposits in the body. Most often in the joints in the form of crystals of this acid. These cause severe pain because they irritate the cartilage and cause its wearing. This makes the joint inflamed, and everything worsens. The joints swell, are red, and above all hurt. The most commonly affected are the joints of the toes, specifically the big toe, then the ankles and knees. Whoever has experienced it once knows what I mean. Meanwhile, modern medicine can help. However, for the treatment to be successful, kidney examinations must be performed, a blood test must be done, and the patient must start following a diet that excludes meat, offal, cured meats, alcohol, and also salt.
Acute and chronic gout
In the acute phase there is a sudden onset of the disease, for example after consuming one inappropriate food, or after visiting a restaurant where you drink a few beers. The joint swells, becomes red, and any movement is painful. If gout strikes you for the first time, you will not know what it is, but the doctor will. Besides painkillers and medicines to help excrete the acid from the body, the doctor may also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and will certainly perform urine and blood tests. In contrast, the chronic stage occurs when you do not treat the acute phase. Then lumps form in your joints as well as under the skin, and the treatment becomes very lengthy and difficult. It is therefore not worth underestimating the acute phase.
Causes of gout
The causes of gout are not only excessive consumption of meat, offal and cured meats, but can also be the body’s inability to excrete excess uric acid. This is caused by poor kidney function, dehydration, having drunk too much alcohol or sweet soft drinks, too much salt, or fasting. It can also be a blood or metabolic disorder. For example, poor thyroid function. Or the cause can be the use of certain medications. Most affected are men between 40 – 50 years old, and women after menopause. Also if someone in the family suffered from gout, or certain types of diets in which you consume too many animal proteins that contain purines.
Medical examination and treatment
Pain usually forces you to visit a doctor, and when he finds out what you are suffering from, he should perform basic examinations. This means determining the uric acid content in the blood, kidney function, thyroid function, and whether you have diabetes, or whether the cause is a blood or metabolic disorder. Based on the results, he will prescribe medication. It is usually a drug to reduce the amount of acid in the blood, such as probenecid, then colchicine to reduce joint pain, and others depending on how severely gout has affected you. At the same time he will prescribe a diet. That means omitting or significantly reducing meat, cured meats, offal, salting less, and limiting alcohol.
On the other hand, he will recommend enriching your diet with fruit and vegetables, and increasing fluid intake in the form of plain water. Plant proteins such as lentils, beans, peas. Also wholegrain bread instead of white, and avoiding sweetened beverages. Sometimes nonsteroidal analgesics and corticosteroids are also appropriate, which suppress inflammation and reduce swelling. These are not recommended for long-term use. If your kidneys are in order, you will feel relief quickly after taking medication, but permanent cure is a long-term process. Moreover, it can happen that if you eat a larger amount of some unsuitable food, the attack will return.
There are also alternative types of treatment
Alternative types of treatment are designed to prevent gout flare-ups and reduce pain. There are several procedures, but none is supported by such a number of studies that any of them would have a decisive effect on a cure. Nevertheless, many people have undergone these treatments and have been cured. It is, however, advisable to consult your doctor first. An inappropriate method of treatment can do you more harm. Treatment can be carried out using herbs and other dietary supplements, or directly by diet. Berries such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are suitable, and an increased dose of vitamin C. All contain antioxidants that support healing. Cherries are also suitable. Then there is bromelain and turmeric, which effectively suppress inflammation and thus swelling.
You can try herbal teas, but it is better to buy them than to mix them yourself. There are plenty of good herbalists here too. Surprisingly, one of the best remedies is the bay leaf. It is enough to weigh 5 grams of leaves, boil them for 5 minutes in half a liter of water, and sip the decoction warm by the teaspoonful!! You have almost a whole day’s worth in a pot. It is taken for 3 days in a row. After a week it is repeated, and then once more. During this time it is recommended to omit meat, white flour, sugar, alcohol, and fatty dairy products. The substances contained in the leaf dissolve uric acid, cleanse the kidneys, and remove toxins from the body. Some people cannot tolerate the taste of the decoction, but dietary measures will also help them. On sore spots you can try warm and cold compresses, and for those who are not afraid, acupuncture can be applied. The latter types of treatment mainly help to suppress inflammation and reduce pain.
