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A disturbance in chemical balance of the body, in which chronic excess uric acid in the blood leads to deposition of needle-shaped urate crystal in and around joints and tendons, where they cause inflammation (gout is a form of arthritis).
Gout is not a single disease. Gout not only causes inflammatory arthritis but also causes tenosynovitis, bursitis or cellulitis, tophaceous deposits, urolithiasis and renal disease. |
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The onset is sudden, unexpected, and excruciating and painful. It strikes an intense pain in a joint, most often the big toe, but sometimes other joints, including knees, elbows, thumbs or fingers. Generally pain disappear after medication, but they may recur.
Gout commonly occurs in middle aged men. Gout is uncommon in women and very rare in children. Men who are overweight or have high blood pressure are more prone to this disease.
Mild cases of gout may be controlled by diet alone. Chronic attacks of gout may require long-term treatment to prevent damage to bone, cartilage and kidney. Chronic gout cases may have tiny, hard lumps accumulating in the soft flesh of the hands, feet, or earlobes. These deposits are known as tophi, are concentrations of uric acid crystals that can eventually cause aching, stiffness and protrusions. |
| Causes of Gout |
Hereditary
Improper function of kidney which results in decreased excretion of urates in urine.
Reaction to alcohol.
Reaction to certain drugs, including antibiotics.
Enzyme deficiencies.
Lead poisoning.
Disorder is often associated with an injury or surgical procedure.
Highly proteinous diet.
Unidentified causes—Idiopathic causes.
Starvation—diminished renal excretion of uric acid.
Psoriasis—due to over production of uric acid.
Toxaemia of pregnancy—due to diminished excretion of uric acid.
May also occur in some cases of tumors or cancers. |
| Symptoms of Gout |
Acute gout appears without warning.
Joint of a big toe is the site of the initial attack of gout in majority of patients.
The joints of ankle, heel, knee and hand are also the common sites. (See figure)
Sudden and intense pain in affected joint.
The gouty joint becomes hot, red, swollen and severely painful.
Acute attack may be accompanied by fever, anorexia, malaise, headache, nausea or a change in mood.
There is a tendency to have recurrent attacks, but symptoms typically do not last more than a week.
Acute gout attack is followed by deposition of tophi and secondary degenerative changes.(See figure)
Crystals of uric acid accumulated between the bones of big toe joint |
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Lab Investigations in Gout
Blood and urine tests may not be very useful because hyperuricaemia, without any symptoms, is very common.
X-rays are seldom useful in establishing the diagnosis, but they may show characteristic punched-out erosion with the soft tissue swelling of tophi.
For diagnosis draw fluid from the synovial sac, that cushions the joint and examined.
Consult a Doctor if
Severe pain in a joint with sudden onset.
Pain lasts more than a day or recurs.
Pain associated with chills and fever.
Symptoms of gout increase while you are taking some drugs, which may be interacting adversely with other medication |
| Treatment and Management of Gout |
First thing is to ease the pain.
Clothing or other covering only aggravates the pain and discomfort, so keep the foot or affected extremity bare.
After the initial discomfort is relieved, try to control the level of uric acid balance in the body.
High fluid intake is advisable.
Reduction of obesity if you are overweight.
All incidents of gout should be diagnosed and treated by a physician. If left untreated, uric acid deposits can eventually cause irreversible kidney damage.
Diet and Nutrition in Gout
Dietary regimens are necessary for preventing attacks of gout on people showing a hereditary predisposition.
What to eat in gout
Low protein diet. A vegetarian diet is good.
Lots of vegetables, garlic dissolves uric acid. A high complex carbohydrate diet increases the excretion of uric acid.
Whole grain such as brown rice, millet, corn, oat and rye.
High levels of water, juices and herbal tea, because they help to dilute urine and promote excretion of uric acid.
Small amount of nuts, pulses and seeds.
High potassium foods—dried fruits, banana, mango, potato and tomatoes.
Red sour cherries and all berry fruits. Even canned cherries are beneficial, if fresh ones are out of season.
Pineapple.
What to reduce in gout
Limit your wheat intake.
Pulses are rich source of protein, thats why eat them only twice in a week.
Meat, dairy products, eggs, poultry and fish. Avoid them totally during an attack.
Asparagus, mushrooms, spinach and green leafy vegetables.
Fruits, as it increases sugar.
What to avoid in gout
All glandular meats, red meat and meat extracts such as bouillon and gravies; organ meats such as liver, sweet breads, and kidney.
Shellfish and certain kinds of preserved fish, including sardines, herring, and anchovies, as their purine levels are very high.
Yeast.
Salt and spices.
Sugar and refined flour and everything made with them.
Gelatin, as it forms uric acid.
Alcohol, coffee, tea and soft drinks. Beer particularly high in purines.
Fats.
Overeating.
Juice Therapy in Gout
Cherries and strawberries juice.
Wheat grass, mint sprigs and pineapple juice.
Apple and celery juice.
Apple and strawberries juice.
Parsley, spinach, carrot and apple juice.
Fresh pineapple juice.
Home Remedies for Gout
The first concern in an attack of gout is to reduce pain and inflammation.
Apply a plastic bag containing a few ice cubes to the joint, this will help in relieving pain and swelling. Wrap the cold bag in a soft cloth or towel and hold it against the painful area for upto five minutes at a time, then repeat it.
Hot epsom salt baths increase the elimination of uric acid through the skin. About 250-500 gm of these salt may be added to tolerably hot water and soak for 20 minutes just before bedtime.
Fresh air and outdoor exercise are also necessary.
Patient should eliminate as much stress from his life as possible.
Some home remedies are:
Cherry—The patient should consume about fifteen to twenty five cherries a day, after some time it reduces to 10 cherries a day.
French bean—French or string bean juice should be taken daily.
Banana—A diet of banana only for three or four days is advised. A patient can take 8 or 9 banana daily during this period and nothing else.
Lime—A juice of half a lime with a glass of water, should be taken twice daily.
Apple—The patient is advised to take one apple after each meal.
Prevention of Gout
If gout runs in the family, one should moderate their intake of alcohol, fats and high-purine food, and should keep their weight under control.
Blood and urine tests during routine checkup are advisable. |
| Homeopathic Treatment of Gout |
In homeopathy we deal with the gout externally as well as internally.
In homeopathy, there are about various remedies for gout and the patient’s exact remedy is decided by taking his complete case history which includes all signs and symptoms with their modalities and then selecting the remedy which best suits his or her constitution with certainty to cure.
A patient may complain that first his toe got affected and then the pain progressed upwards to involve other joints like knee and then elbow. He is very chilly. The joints are cold to touch. He says he feels better on cold application. In such a case the homeopath would choose the remedy Led palustre 30.
Another patient may say that his joints are red, swollen with much tearing pain. The thirst is excessive and he says he drinks large quantity of cold water. He says his joint pains are worse from least motion and touch. In this case we would choose Bryonia alba 30.
Thus homeopathy is tailor-made while allopathy is ready-made because in allopathy all patients are given the same medicine without considering their individual reactions and disease modalities.
In allopathy, the treatment is suppressive with painkillers which have dangerous side effects which include damage to kidneys and liver. Homeopathy cure for gout aims at dealing with the cause of pain and thus curing gout from its root.
Even if you are already taking allopathic painkillers then also homeopathy would benefit you. It would gradually reduce your dependence on painkillers and you would start using them in emergency only and after continuous homeopathic therapy for your arthritis your dependence on painkillers will totally vanish.
Homeopathy cure for gout make you more healthy and mobile with reduced or no pain at all. And the most important thing is that the homeopathic medicines for arthritis and joint pains are totally free from side effects and are safe for longterm use. |
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