The Best Gout Diet

The defintion of gout is recurrent episodes of inflammatory arthritis. 50 per cent of cases occurs at the metatarsophalangeal joint at the base of the big toe. Other commonly affected joints are ankles, fingers, wrists, feet, shoulders, knees and elbows. Acute gout attacks are characterized by rapid onset of pain, which is then followed by a warm sensation on the affected area, swelling, reddish discoloration and tenderness. Fever and chills may also develop. This condition is caused by uric acid in the blood, forming crystals that tend to accumulate in the joints, tendons and surrounding tissues. It is diagnosed by examination of synovial fluid, blood tests and sometimes by Gram stain and test the sensitivity of culture.

Studies show that the underlying root cause of gout is hyperuricemia. Higher levels of uric acid in the blood may be due to a number of factors such as diet, family history and the body's inability to excrete uric acid, which are salts of uric acid. 90 percent of cases are due to the inability of the kidney to filter and excrete waste of these products and only 10 percent of the accounts of the overproduction of uric acid in the body. The consumption of alcohol, soft drinks, meats, and foods high in purines and seafood are also attributed to this condition. Other factors include injuries and trauma. Some medical conditions such as hypertension, polycythemia vera, lead poisoning, kidney failure, hemolytic anemia, psoriasis and solid organ transplantation can also cause an occurrence of gout attacks.

The goal of treatment for gout management is treating the symptoms of an acute attack. If attacks are frequent experience, you should seek medical attention. Usually your doctor will prescribe medicines that reduce uric acid levels in the blood. Hot or cold packs should be avoided. Heat may relieve pain but has also been shown to cause more irritation to make more white blood cells in the affected area. Icing on the joint may cause more crystals to form. Some medications can be helpful in relieving pain. These include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen and ibuprofen colchicine and steroids.

Changes in lifestyle are important to reduce and prevent acute attacks of gout recur. This is mainly because a proper diet. Gout diet is to reduce or, if possible, avoid foods that may trigger another attack. Foods to avoid gout, including those with a lot of purines, high in fat and animal protein as well as foods that contain high amounts of sugar. Losing weight is very important for the management of gout. Eat more vegetables, whole grains and foods low in fat or fat-free is recommended. Drinking more than eight glasses of water daily is also recommended. Proper hydration can reduce the crystal formations. Alcohol intake is also limited, or, if possible, be avoided, because alcohol causes urate retention.