Sunday, August 2, 2009

Gout Remedies

Medications can help control pain and inflammation of a gout attack and help prevent future attacks by eliminating excess uric acid or affecting the production of excess uric acid. High levels of uric acid can cause gout.

Some people may not experience gout as many painful attacks but rather develop chronic gout. Chronic gout in older adults may be less painful and can be confused with other forms of arthritis.

There may be no classic symptoms of a gout attack. There are many other conditions with symptoms similar to gout. Diets which are high in purines and high in protein have long been suspected of causing an increased risk of gout (a type of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the body which form crystals in the joints, resulting in pain and inflammation).

The buildup of uric acid that leads to your gout attack can still harm your joints. This is the best way to test for gout. Relief from a gout attack often begins within 24 hours if you start treatment right away. To ease the pain during a gout attack, rest the joint that hurts.

Paying attention to what you eat may help you manage your gout. The first symptom of gouty arthritis is typically the sudden onset of a hot, red, swollen joint.

Consuming coffee and tea is not a problem but alcohol can raise uric acid levels and provoke an episode of gout. Experts at Mayo Clinic suggest that medications for gout have reduced the need for dietary restrictions, but some modification can decrease the severity or frequency of gout attacks. Dietary modification may be preferred by people who cannot tolerate gout medications. An initial attack of gout (50% of initial attacks involve the big toe) may last several days and disappear even if untreated. Knowing how to treat gout is important for preventing attacks.

A gout "flare" (attack) usually strikes suddenly, at night, in one location (usually the large joint in the big toe). The primary risk factor for gout is hyperuricemia"high levels of uric acid in the blood.

Though gout treatment is most often treated successfully and without complications, it becomes more of a challenge if other conditions exist along with gout or if there is poor patient compliance to recommended lifestyle changes or a medication regimen.

Patients with acute gout typically receive daily doses of prednisone (20-40mg) or its equivalent for 3 to 4 days, then it is tapered gradually over one to two weeks. It is used to prevent gout attacks, not to treat them once they occur.
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