Do you suffer from gout?
Gout is a common condition that occurs when your uric acid levels are elevated and the uric acid gets deposited on articular cartilage, tendons and surrounding tissues. Gout often affects the big toe and symptoms include: sudden burning pain, redness, warmth and stiffness of the affected joint. Six out of 1000 men develop gout, while only one of 1000 women develop it.
Your doctor may prescribe medication to lower your uric acid levels. Though anti-inflammatory medication including Ibuprofen can ease the pain of gout, do not take aspirin as aspirin may elevate your uric acid levels and worsen the pain.
Ensure that you maintain adequate hydration by drinking plenty of water. Also try to avoid foods that are high in purines such as red meat and alcohol.
Untreated gout can lead to permanent joint damage, so make sure that you see your doctor. Some research suggests that taking 500mg of vitamin C per day may lower your uric acid levels (Huang et al 2005).
Another related study found that actually consuming 280g of cherries (bing sweet cherries) may also lower uric acid levels (Jacob et al, 2003).
To find out why gout is often referred to as the disease of kings, click here!
References:
Huang HY, Appel LJ, Choi MJ, Gelber AC, Charleston J, Norkus EP, Miller ER 3rd. The effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum concentrations of uric acid: results of a randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum. 2005 Jun;52(6):1843-7.
Jacob RA, Spinozzi GM, Simon VA, Kelley DS, Prior RL, Hess-Pierce B, Kader AA. Consumption of cherries lowers plasma urate in healthy women. J Nutr. 2003 Jun;133(6):1826-9.
1 comment:
Thank you for this. I had suspected that my husband was suffering from gout even though he didn't have a big toe, a semi-swollen, red ankle. I told him he had to lay off the red beef and start drinking more water, which he did. So far we haven't seen any return of the previous symptoms.
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