While fruit and fresh fruit juices contain sugar, the benefits of eating fruit are likely to far outweigh any negatives. Reducing how much sugar you consume from other sources is a heathier option than cutting out some of your five a day. Drinking too much alcohol, especially beer and spirits, can increase your urate levels and your chances of triggering a gout attack.
Beer is particularly bad, as it contains a lot of purines. As a rule of thumb, try to stick to the government guidelines of drinking no more than 14 units a week.
This is equivalent to about 6 pints of beer or 6 glasses of wine. You can find out more about government drinking guidelines at drinkaware. Research has shown that vitamin C may slightly reduce uric acid levels in people with gout. This is another reason to make sure your diet includes plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Research has shown that cherries may reduce the risk of having an acute attack of gout, particularly when taken with allopurinol. Research suggests drinking skimmed milk and eating low-fat yoghurt may help to prevent attacks of gout.
If you decide to try complementary and alternative treatments, you should be critical of whether they are making a difference to your condition. The emotional effects of gout can have just as much impact as the physical symptoms. Long term damage and severe pain from the attacks of gout can affect your daily life, disturb your sleep and affect your mood. From time to time, your gout may get on top of you. You can also call our helpline on , who will listen and offer emotional support.
Work can provide a sense of purpose, a supportive social network, and help you financially. Most people with gout can continue working, but you may need some time off when you have an attack. Your employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments so that you can do your job. Your local Jobcentre Plus can also put you in touch with Disability Employment Advisors, who can arrange workplace assessments.
Access to Work is a scheme in Scotland, England and Wales that gives extra help to people with disabilities or physical and mental health conditions. There is a separate scheme available in Northern Ireland. Access to Work provides funded or partly-funded grants to help people start work, stay in work, or move into self-employment, and can be used to pay for equipment, support workers, or transport, among other things.
Research is greatly increasing our understanding of what triggers gout and how new therapies may be developed to treat it. Our research has found a more successful way of treating people with gout.
We funded a clinical trial in which nurses, trained in gout and its management, delivered a package of care tailored to patients. It provided information on gout and its treatment options, and involved patients in decision making.
Versus Arthritis is also currently funding a research project to help design a full-scale clinical trial looking at whether omega-3 fatty acids , which are found in fish oils, can be used alongside ULTs to prevent gout attacks. The results could reduce gout attacks and overcome the unwanted side effects that some people experience when starting on ULTs. The only way I could get around was on all fours and crawl. I was only a year into my thirties. I put it to the back of my mind and carried on as I always had.
It happened after a game of football. My ankle was so puffy that my foot looked like a joint of meat. Even the weight of the bed sheets was enough to keep me up at night. At the time I was on my 12th year of doing deliveries for the Royal Mail. Getting my round done every morning was becoming a struggle. To my colleagues it was all a big joke. So, I went back to my doctor. After another 10 years of walking the beat for the Royal Mail, I decided It was time to get a desk job.
Soon after this I had to make another trip to the doctors for my hands. It was pretty much miraculous how quickly it all stopped. The last four years have been fantastic. Learn why it occurs, what the symptoms are, and how to treat it. Tomatoes may trigger gout.
They increase levels of uric acid. We explore the effects of tomatoes if you have gout, alternatives to try, and other…. Gout crystals may form when there is too much uric acid in your bloodstream.
Gout and turf toe can both cause similar symptoms, but have very different causes and treatments. Read on to learn more about these similarities and…. Avoiding foods high in purines may help you reduce uric acid levels and minimize your chances of developing gout.
What does that mean for hummus? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Gout: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Essential oils Is it hereditary? Takeaway Gout is a general term for a variety of conditions caused by a buildup of uric acid. Symptoms of gout. Gout pictures. Gout home remedies. Treatment of gout. Gout surgery. Causes of gout. Foods to avoid. Gout diagnosis. Gout triggers.
Gout prevention. Gout with tophus. Is gout painful? Gout essential oils. Is gout hereditary? Read this next. Gout Symptoms and Triggers. This usually means more than two drinks per day for most men or one per day for all women or any men over Beer in particular has been implicated, and the beverage is high in purines.
However, a study confirmed that wine, beer, and liquor can all cause repeated gout attacks. Learn more about the relationship between alcohol and gout.
Other things that may trigger a gout attack include:. You can decrease your chances of developing gout by watching your alcohol intake and eating a diet low in purines. Other causes of gout, such as kidney damage or a family history, are impossible to counteract. They can come up with a plan to reduce your chances of developing the condition. For instance, if you have risk factors for gout such as a particular medical condition , they may consider that before recommending certain types of drugs.
However, if you do develop gout, rest assured that the condition can be managed through a combination of medications, dietary changes, and alternative treatments. Uric acid is a natural waste product from the digestion of foods that contain purines. Normally, it isn't problematic. But if you have certain health…. A low-purine diet is helpful if you've recently been diagnosed with gout, kidney stones, or a digestive disorder.
It can also help prevent such a…. Hyperuricemia happens if there's too much uric acid in your blood. It's tied to gout. Learn why it occurs, what the symptoms are, and how to treat it.
More than 8 million Americans have gout, a condition that causes painful inflammation in the joints. Learn the symptoms, what causes it, and how it's…. What's pseudogout? Symptoms of gout The main symptom of gout is a sudden attack of severe pain in one or more joints, typically your big toe. Other symptoms can include: the joint feeling hot and very tender, to the point of being unable to bear anything touching it swelling in and around the affected joint red, shiny skin over the affected joint peeling, itchy and flaky skin as the swelling goes down The intense pain can make getting around difficult.
Which joints can be affected? Gout can affect almost any joint and can occur in more than one joint at the same time. The joints towards the ends of the limbs tend to be affected more often, including the: toes — particularly the big toe joint midfoot where your shoelaces sit ankles knees fingers wrists elbows If gout is left untreated, it's likely to affect more joints over time. Pattern of symptoms Attacks of gout tend to: occur at night, although they can happen at any time develop quickly over a few hours last between three and 10 days — after this time, the affected joint should start to return to normal, but the problem can persist if treatment isn't started early come back — you may experience attacks every few months or years become more frequent over time if not treated It's difficult to predict how often attacks will occur and when exactly they will happen.
When to seek medical advice See your GP if you suspect you have gout and it hasn't been previously diagnosed. Contact your GP immediately or call the service if you have both: severe, worsening joint pain and swelling a high temperature fever of 38C Causes of gout Gout is caused by small crystals forming in the joints, resulting in severe pain, tenderness and swelling. Uric acid Uric acid is created when the body breaks down chemicals known as purines.
What can increase your risk? Other factors that may increase your risk of developing gout are outlined below. Medical conditions Some underlying medical conditions can increase your risk of developing gout, including: high blood pressure diabetes kidney disease high levels of fat and cholesterol in your blood obesity metabolic syndrome a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity psoriasis a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales osteoarthritis Medication Certain medications can increase your uric acid levels and your risk of developing gout.
These include: diuretics water tablets — used to treat high blood pressure or an abnormal build-up of fluid in your body certain medicines used to treat high blood pressure — including beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors low-dose aspirin — used to reduce the risk of blood clots niacin — used to treat high cholesterol ciclosporin — used to treat conditions such as psoriasis some chemotherapy medicines Diet Uric acid is created when the body breaks down purines.
Foods naturally high in purines include: red meat — such as beef, lamb and pork seafood — especially shellfish and oily fish offal — such as liver, kidneys and heart Alcohol Alcoholic drinks can raise the level of uric acid in the blood.
Sugary drinks Certain sugary drinks may also increase your risk of gout. Family history Studies have shown that gout often runs in families. Diagnosing gout Your GP may suspect gout based on your symptoms. Further tests Many conditions can cause gout-like symptoms. Joint fluid test A sample of fluid may be taken from the affected joint. Blood test A blood test known as a serum uric acid test may be used to measure the amount of uric acid in your blood.
X-ray An X-ray is rarely used to diagnose gout because the condition isn't usually detectable using this method. Ultrasound scan An ultrasound scan of an affected joint is a simple and safe investigation that's increasingly used to detect crystals in the joints.
Treating gout Treatment for gout includes pain relief to help you cope with a gout attack, as well as medication and lifestyle changes to prevent further attacks.
Pain relief for a gout attack What to do during an attack You should: take any medication you've been prescribed as early as possible after you notice an attack see below — this should start to have an effect within two or three days rest and raise the limb avoid knocking or damaging the affected joint keep the joint cool — remove surrounding clothing and apply an ice pack, such as a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel ensure you're well hydrated Apply the ice pack to your joint for around 20 minutes.
NSAIDs used to treat gout include naproxen, diclofenac and etoricoxib. Colchicine reduces some of the swelling and pain associated with a gout attack. Corticosteroids Corticosteroids are sometimes used to treat severe cases of gout if other treatments don't work or you're unable to take an NSAID or colchicine.
A short course of steroid tablets often provides relief, but they can't be used long-term in high doses as they cause side effects, including: weight gain thinning of the bones osteoporosis easy bruising muscle weakness Corticosteroids can also be given by injection to provide rapid pain relief. Medication and lifestyle changes to prevent further attacks You can reduce your chances of having further gout attacks by taking medication and making lifestyle changes to reduce the level of uric acid in your body.
Medication Medication to reduce uric acid levels — known as urate-lowering therapy ULT — is usually recommended if you have recurrent attacks of gout or you have complications of gout. Allopurinol Allopurinol helps reduce the production of uric acid. However, side effects can include: a rash — this is usually mild and goes away on its own, but it can be a sign of an allergy; if you develop a rash, stop taking the medication immediately and contact your GP for advice indigestion headaches diarrhoea Febuxostat Like allopurinol, febuxostat is a medication taken once a day that reduces the body's production of uric acid.
Side effects of febuxostat can include: diarrhoea feeling sick headaches a rash Other medications Less commonly used ULT medications include benzbromarone and sulfinpyrazone. Lifestyle changes Certain lifestyle changes can also help reduce your risk of experiencing further attacks of gout, including: avoiding foods containing high levels of purine the chemical involved in the production of uric acid , such as red meat, offal, oily fish, seafood and foods containing yeast extract.
Complications of gout Complications of gout can include small lumps forming under the skin tophi , joint damage and kidney stones. Tophi Gout is caused by a chemical called uric acid forming small crystals in and around the joints.
They can also can become inflamed and produce a toothpaste-like discharge. Tophi can develop anywhere in the body, but usually form on the: toes heels knees fingers ears forearms elbows It normally takes several years after the first attack of gout for tophi to develop, but some people develop them even before experiencing an attack. If you have very large or painful tophi, they may have to be surgically removed. Joint damage Without treatment, gout attacks may become more frequent and prolonged, and your likelihood of developing permanent joint damage will increase.
In the most serious cases, surgery may be required to repair or replace a damaged joint. Kidney stones Occasionally, high levels of uric acid can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Psychological and emotional effects Gout can also affect your mood, work and home life.
Tweet Click here to share this page on Twitter This will open a new window. Print Click here to print this page This will open your print options in a new window.
Source: NHS 24 - Opens in new browser window. Last updated:.
0コメント