Introduction
Gout is a kind of arthritis which is caused by an excess of uric acid deposition in the body. Uric acid is a natural waste product of the body. When the level of this acid rises above the minimum normal level, then the person suffers from gout.
In a person suffering from gout, the uric acid crystals deposit in the joints instead of being flushed into the kidneys. These uric acid crystal deposits can make the joints seem swollen. The swellings are observed most commonly in the joints of the knees, feet, hands, wrists and elbows. The big toe is most commonly affected. Sometimes, the depositions also occur in the areas below the skin and in the kidneys and the urinary tract.
The symptoms of gout mostly occur in the night. They can get to be very acute at times, and may last for a few days even. Some of the main symptoms of gout are:-
(i) Pain and inflammation in joints which is caused due to the crystal deposits. The pains may occur suddenly and intensely for a few days and then reduce. These periods are known as the gout attacks.
(ii) During the periods of the gout attacks, the joints swell up and this is accompanied by redness and tenderness of the area.
(iii) There is a feeling of pressure in the area where the swelling has occurred.
Today, gout has become a common old age problem. it is found in most people across the world, though it is seen that men suffer from gout much more than women. A rough estimate indicates that men have four times higher chances of getting gout than women have. Also, sudden changes in environmental conditions can bring on gout.
It is not definite why uric acid deposition takes place in some people and why it doesn’t in others. However, some triggering factors have been identified. The following is a list of some conditions that can increase the chances of developing gout:-
(i) People who eat and drink heavily have a high chance of developing gout in their later lives. Obesity and gaining weight are very important triggering factors for gout.
(ii) Keep your diet controlled in the amount of animal protein. Consume less of lean meat and organ meat products.
(iii) Gout is also observed in people who are heavy drinkers of alcoholic drinks.
(iv) Sedentary lifestyle is another important factor. People who do not perform exercises have more tendencies to develop uric acid crystal depositions in their joints.
(v) There are some medical conditions that can bring on gout. People with urinary and kidney problems are more susceptible. High blood pressure is also known to have an influencing role to play in the onset of gout.
Home Remedies for Gout
Gout can be treated at home with some simple household remedies. Most of these remedies are very effective in treating all types of gout. The following are some of the most effective remedies:-
- One of the useful home remedies for gout is cherries which are very good in treating people with gout. Cherries are rich in vitamin C, which can help in eliminating the gouty deposits. A person with gout must consume about ten to fifteen cherries in a day to get relief from recurrent attacks of gout. Cherry juice is also very beneficial. Drinking a whole glass of cherry juice at least once a day proves to be very beneficial.
- Apples are also very good for the treatment of gout. A person with gout complaints must eat at least one apple per day for obtaining relief.
- Safflower has properties in treatment of gout. Take safflower in capsule form to fasten your healing process.
- If you have gout in your toes, then the following remedy can be used to seek relief. Take one-third cup of ground ginger in a bath tub and soak your affected foot in it for 30 minutes. This will cause you to sweat and uric acid will be eliminated. After this, make sure that you bathe thoroughly or ginger may cause skin irritation after the body dries.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon in a glassful of water. Drink this juice thrice a day in morning, noon and night at regular intervals. Lemon is also a very rich source of vitamin C, which helps in dissolving the gouty deposits.
- Drink 6-8 ounces glasses of fluid a day. This will not only reduce gout attacks a day but also wash out the urate crystals from the system and prevent you from developing kidney stones.
- Extract half a cup of juice of French beans. Drink this juice for a month everyday once or twice. You will find immense relief in the pains of gout and the inflammation will be reduced. This is one of the useful home remedies for gout.
- Take mustard and grind it to powder. Then take one part of the mustard powder and mix it with one part of whole wheat powder. Add a little amount of water to it, just to make a pasty consistency. Apply this paste on achy regions and leave overnight.
- Take two teaspoons of organic apple cider vinegar with two teaspoons of honey (twice a day). Within a few hours the pain will be minimized.
- There are some exercises you can do in order to seek relief from the pains of gouts. However, the exercises must be done regularly, and must focus on the affected joints. Stretching joints and muscles help you to maintain a range of motion. Exercise by putting each joint through full motion. Perform such exercises 2-3 times a day for at least fifteen minutes each time.
- Bananas serve a good remedy for curing gout. Consume 3-4 bananas a day. Bananas are rich in minerals like phosphorus which can chemically react with the uric acid deposits and eliminate them from the system.
- Increase the intake of citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, green pepper and leafy green vegetables which have high content of vitamin C. They reduce inflammation produced in gouts. The amalaki (Indian Gooseberry) is one of the richest sources of vitamin C. Make it a point to eat about three to four fresh fruits of this herb on a daily basis.
- Simple water can also help to a great extent in curing gout. Drink excess of water that is eight to ten glasses per day as they will cause the toxic uric acid to flow away and this will reduce its level.
- Soak the feet in Epsom salt if the pain is concentrated in big toe. Add two cups of Epsom salt in warm water; soak the feet in it and keep it till the water starts losing its heat.
- Soak a piece of white flannel cloth in warm castor oil and place it over the affected areas. Wrap it with plastic and apply heating pads. This is one of the important home remedies for gout.
- Black cherry really works wonders with gout pains. Drink concentrated juice of black cherry at regular intervals throughout the day. This will relieve you from the pain.
- Alfalfa is a good source of minerals that helps to reduce the content of serum uric acid. This prevents the deposition and future conditions of gout.
- Increase the amount of strawberries in your diet. Strawberries are rich sources of vitamin C. However, the strawberries must be fresh, and several of them must be eaten per day.
- If you want a quick remedy for your gout pains, then a very convenient way is to apply ice on the affected regions. This will reduce the pains immediately, but this remedy is only temporary. You will need some other remedy to remove the deposits from the internal system.
- Boil one tea-spoon of pepper in one cup of vinegar and one cup of water, dab this mixture onto the painful joint and leave it for 2-3 hours. This is one of the best home remedies for gout.
- Eat several cloves of raw garlic daily. Mince the garlic and add it to black cherry juice for better effects. This remedy works very well if you have the garlic cherry paste in the early morning.
Avoiding Gout
There are some simple measures one can take to avoid the onset of gout. The following is a list of those preventive methods:-
(i) Most important of all preventions for gout is to keep the weight under check. This keeps your digestive system working fine and ensures proper expulsion of the waste products from the body.
(ii) If you have an obesity problem, then you must work severely at bringing the weight down to a manageable level. This can be done through exercise and maintaining physical fitness.
(iii) Eat a proper balanced diet and do not consume the excess of any one kind of food. Include several fresh fruits in your diet. Hot foods must be avoided. Avoid lean meats and organ meats. Restrict your intake of poultry and fish.
(iv) Keep all the vital parts of your internal body clean. This is because toxic depositions anywhere in the body could be an influential factor in causing deposits of gout to occur in the joints. The main parts you must focus on are dental hygiene, proper and clean digestive system, kidneys and liver.
(v) Avoid alcohol and smoking, as they can precipitate the conditions of gouts. Beer and distilled spirits are very harmful for gout, and their seriousness increases much more if the person indulges in binge drinking of these drinks.
(vi) Do not keep your joints fixed in one position for a long period of time. Maintain some amount of movement in them all the time.
(vii) There are some medications available for reducing hyperuricemia. They contain allopurinol and probenecid as their chief ingredients. If you feel you are developing gout, then you can visit your doctor and get a diagnosis done. The doctor would then prescribe such medicines for you. These are mostly preventive medications that will stop the gout from developing any further.
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