What You Should Know About Gout

Do you notice how tired you get the older that you get. I am not even forty and already I can feel my joints aching more often and am having problems that I never thought I would experience at this point in my life. Of course I should count myself lucky. There are other people my age that are dealing with crazy problems. One that a good many have to deal with is gout.

This is a type of arthritis that occurs in the toes. What causes it? Medical research shows us that gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid crystals that attaches itself around the joints and tendons. This occurs with there is high levels of uric acid in the blood. For anyone who does not know “uric acid is a by-product of purine, which are flushed out of the body through our urine.”

The more uric acid is produced the harder it is for the kidneys to flush it all out. The only place for the uric acid to go is inside the joints. The more that is left behind, the more it begins to build up. This problem can also cause the painful kidney stones that we have probably dealt with in the past at some point.

Luckily there is medicine that your doctor can prescribe to you that will help to control the problem as much as possible and to keep the pain to a minimum. However, you should know that the causes of gout could lead to other problems. You might have to deal with a kidney disorder. Along with medicine you should make sure to drink plenty of water. This can help to flush out your kidneys.

Make sure that you speak with your doctor if you feel that you might deal with these problems. They will run the necessary tests. You might find that you are dealing with something else that has related symptoms. If you are diagnosed sit with your doctor to discuss the proper treatment plan to be using.

If you suffer from gout then you know just how frustrating this medical condition can be. You understand the pain that is associated with it and you are probably taking the necessary medication that is used to help control the symptoms of it. Still, sometimes that is not enough. It is important to understand the causes of the problem as well as what type of diet you should be on.

Most people are not aware that gout can be made worse by the foods that they eat. Certain foods might cause an attack to come on swiftly and suddenly and the pain can be very excruciating. The foods that you should stay away from the most are the ones that contain high amounts of purine and protein. These are usually the fatty foods that we love so much. It also includes a few of the dairy products.

Do you like steaks and hamburgers? You should learn to love them a little less. Red meat is high in protein and this is the last thing that your body needs to handle. It is these types of foods that make it difficult for your body to be able to process. Other foods known to cause gout to stay away from includes; liver, sardines, gravy, and even broth.

According to medical research, when patients, suffering from gout, take out the high fatty and dairy food products they feel little to no symptoms of gout. After a few months the same foods were introduced back into the diet and the symptoms reappeared once more. This shows a clear connection between the two.

Unfortunately, medical research also shows that while this helped most patients it did not work for all. Our bodies are different from each other and what one can process the other might not be able to. You need to understand what your body is able to handle and create a food journal. That way you know exactly what foods are your Achilles heel.