Conditions and Treatments

Gout

OVERVIEW:

Gout is a systemic disease caused by the buildup of uric acid in the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. This condition can develop for two reasons. The liver may produce more uric acid than the body can excrete in the urine, or a diet of rich foods (e.g., red meat, cream sauces, red wine) puts more uric acid into the bloodstream than the kidneys can filter. In both cases, a condition called hyperuricemia results. Over time, the uric acid crystallizes and settles in the joint spaces, most commonly in the first metatarsal phalangeal joint of the big toe or in the ankle joint.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

The most common symptoms of gout are inflammation, swelling, and tenderness in the joint of the first toe. Touching or moving it is intensely painful and patients often say it hurts to have as much as a bedsheet over the toe. Gout develops quickly and typically occurs in only one joint at a time. Symptoms may develop in two or three joints simultaneously, but this is rare. If widespread symptoms occur, the condition is probably not gout.

DIAGNOSIS:

The most reliable way to diagnose gout is to examine the joint fluid for uric acid crystals. This is done by drawing fluid from the joint with a needle and examining it under a polarized light microscope. Although the test is invasive, the results are definitive, and a positive result facilitates proper treatment and quick relief.

TREATMENT:

Treatment for gout involves decreasing the amount of uric acid in the joint. If dietary habits are the cause, the patient's lifestyle must be changed to avoid the condition. Gout is readily corrected with patient cooperation, and it is usually not treated unless it occurs frequently. Colchicine is a common medication for treating acute gout attacks. If continuous medication is necessary, the two most common choices are probenecid and allopurinol.

PREVENTION:

Alcohol and rich foods are primary contributors to excessive uric acid levels. Although some patients have a genetic predisposition to excessive uric acid production, most gout patients have normal kidneys and uncontrolled dietary habits. Prevention is the best defense against the disease.

Many patients who suffer from gout continue to indulge, and suffer frequent attacks as a result. Although medication makes it possible to live with gout, the continued accumulation of uric acid in the joints eventually damages them, seriously inhibiting movement.

NATUROPATHIC TREATMENT:

Naturopathic and conventional medicine agree on their recommendations for diet and lifestyle changes in treating gout. The goal of treatment is to reduce hyperuricemia by avoiding uric acid?forming foods and beverages and to reduce inflammation through nutrition and supplements.

It should be noted that the primary drug used to treat gout, colchicine, has no direct effect on uric acid levels; rather it works by reducing inflammation in the affected area. Colchicine is also associated with several very serious side effects (e.g., bone marrow depression, hair loss, vomiting, diarrhea). Many people are unable to tolerate this drug.

NUTRITION:

• Achieve and maintain an ideal body weight.
• Eat fresh, unrefined, and unprocessed foods. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, soy, beans, seeds, nuts, olive oil, and cold-water fish (salmon, tuna, and halibut).
• Eat unsweetened cherries (canned, fresh, or frozen). Cherries lower uric acid levels and can prevent gout attack. Blueberries, blackberries, and other deeply pigmented berries are also helpful.
• Eliminate purine-containing foods, such as organ meats, shellfish, brewers yeast (beer), bakers yeast (baked goods and bread), anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel.
• Avoid alcohol, animal fats, red meat, poultry, sugar, dairy products, refined foods, fried foods, junk foods, and caffeine.
• Drink precent of body weight in ounces of water daily (e.g., a 150 lb person would drink 75 oz of water).

SUPPLEMENTS:

• Quercetin ? Take 200 to 400 mg daily between meals. Quercetin inhibits uric acid production.
• Bromelain ? Take 200 to 400 mg daily between meals. This enzyme found in pineapples is anti-inflammatory. For best results, take with quercetin.
• Vitamin E ? Take 400 IUs daily.
• Flaxseed oil ? Take 1 tbs daily.
• High doses of vitamin C and niacin (vitamin B-3) should be avoided since both may increase uric acid levels.

Yuma Store: 928-783-1051