Gout pain can be the most excruciating problem for an individual. Not only that is causes intense suffering for gout sufferers, the pain also affects the several aspects of a person’s life. Gout pain can hinder you to perform several activities you used to do, even simple things that children can do. This will lead to a heavy emotional burden on the part of a gout sufferer, leading to depression and withdrawal from the social world he used to enjoy.
Here are a few questions that might usually fill the mind of a gout sufferer. Through additional knowledge regarding the condition, which is gout, you can have a better outlook of your prognosis and even start experimenting on the treatment plans that are individualized to your situation.
What is Gout?
Gout is also called gouty arthritis and metabolic arthritis. Gout results from the high levels of uric acid in the body. Increased uric acid levels may be a result of the following: the body makes too much or the body is unable to excrete the normal levels through urine. Either of the reasons will lead to uric acid retention, and therefore to gout and gout pain.
What is Gout Pain?
When there are increased uric acid levels in the body, the tendency for the excess is to deposit on the joints. Gout pain results from the uric acid deposits that crystallize on the joints. Uric acid deposits will trigger recurrent inflammatory response and repeating pain. Among all the joints in the body, joints found in the big toe are the most commonly affected. That is why an inflamed big toe is one of the characteristic features of gout.
Among the other types of arthritis, gout pain is considered as the most painful. The attack of gout pain is sudden and severe, more likely accompanied by swelling, redness, and tenderness of the affected area. Gout attacks may only involve a single joint, but there are some that experience joint pain and swelling over several areas. On the acute phase of the attack, basically around a few hours, gout pain can be experienced at its worst. However, pain may subside over a few days even without treatment, a normal response of the body to gout that medical experts still figure out up to present. But if kept untreated, gout pain may turn from mild to severe pain that can last for weeks. Repeated attacks would also provide significant damage to the joint and will lead to stiffness.
What Remedies can Help Me Deal with Gout Pain?
The medical intervention for gout pain usually includes analgesics and anti- inflammatory medications such as NSAIDs. Other medications that are typical for gout patients are colchicine, corticosteroids for the inflammation, allopurinol, adrenocorticotropic hormone for hormonal imbalances, probenezid and sulfinpyrazone.
Gout and gout pain remedies also include dietary modification from which gout patients will be instructed to avoid foods that are high in purine. Purine, when metabolized by the body, will result to uric acid and we don’t want that for gout. Some of the foods high in purine are red meat, organ meat like brain, liver and kidneys, seafood, asparagus, anchovies, mackerel, beer and alcoholic beverages, carbonated drinks, mushrooms and beans. Increasing water intake would also help. There are likewise some foods claimed to help improve the condition of gout patients like dairy products, strawberries and black cherry juice.
Treatment regimen for gout pain will also be more effective with lifestyle modification. This would include avoiding vices, having regular exercise, maintaining ideal body weight, peaceful mind, and spiritual fulfillment.