Gout deforms the bodies of people, limiting their movements. This ailment can strike a person at any time, both during the day and at night, while brushing teeth or during lectures in college. How not to fall into the trap of the predatory illness? How to get out of it alive? For what kind of people did gout place its heinous traps on the path of life’s journey? What is gout? Let’s figure it out.
Symptoms of gout are very noticeable and vivid. Its attack can start at any time, but most commonly, it appears after a meal. Generally, gout begins to bother at night, forcing a person to wake up from a dream. The most favorite place of gout is the thumb on the leg. During an attack, it begins to swell, blush and become hot. The local temperature of the affected area can reach up to 40 degrees Celsius. All this is accompanied by a twisting pain in the inflamed joint.
These are not all signs of the illness: at the initial stage it is usually accompanied by a change in the mood of a sick person, there is a sense of anxiety, increased excitability and nervousness. Often before an attack the appetite disappears, there is heartburn and nausea. It may be difficult to breathe and the blood pressure increases.
However, gout can occupy not only the toe on the leg, but also joints of the knees, elbows, shoulders and hips. How do people manage to get into this trap of pain, becoming a hostage to the illness?
In the past, gout was considered a masculine disease, but nowadays it does not sort out its victims, affecting the most malleable. It has no sympathy. Its most famous victims are Ivan the Terrible, Michelangelo, and even Jared Leto. So, as you see, our contemporaries are not protected from this ailment. This illness became especially common in the XIX century. The gout causes included the excessive use of spices brought from the east. In the era of classicism, these dishes were particularly popular; they were supplemented by a variety of marinades and preserves. Such delicacies could afford only rich people, so they were the main victims of this illness.
What causes gout nowadays? The products we mentioned above are available to all comers today, so the illness has become much more common.
Gout development is prompted by kidney ailments, as well as metabolic disorders. Gout is expressed in the wrong outflow of uric acid, most of which does not go outside, but gets into the blood. As a result, unfavorable urinary elements are deposited around joints, most often around small ones, forming distinctive crystalline growths. As a result, joints are deformed and limited in movement, which can eventually lead even to disability.
These growths, in turn, can provoke a number of other complex diseases, including atherosclerosis, varicose veins, various types of arthritis and arthrosis, as well as many other ailments.
If a person suffers from gout for a long time, in the organism begin to form tophi. These are small crystal-like formations, reaching from several millimeters to 1-2 centimeters in size. The deposit of tofus begins with the auricles and can later be formed in any other soft tissues of the organism, as well as on internal organs.
An experienced rheumatologist can diagnose gout only by examining the patient’s ears. Strangely enough, but it is precisely at this place that form dense subcutaneous nodules that are very easy to detect by touch.
They consist of crystals of the same uric acid. Also, the physician may prescribe the following procedures:
- X-ray of the joints
- Blood test for uric acid level
- Urine analysis
- Ultrasound of the kidneys
Experts advise not to delay diagnosis, because it is easier to cope with a developing illness, than with its chronic form.
It is worth noting that the causes of gout development are hidden in the wrong way of life and nutrition. Therefore, the course of gout treatment should be accompanied not only by taking prescribed medicines, but also by proper nutrition and exercise. The food intakes should be systematic and occur at the same time every day. It is necessary to exclude or minimize the use of the following products from the diet:
- Spices
- Fats
- Meat and fish
- Legumes (including chocolate and cocoa)
- Canned food
- Marinades
- Fried food
- Alcohol
Smoking is also prohibited, since it aggravates the course of the illness, thereby impeding the process of recovery.
During the period of treatment, it is necessary to include in a special gout diet food that is capable of cleansing the organism of unfavorable components. Such products include watermelon, honeydew melon, citrus, dairy products, herbs.
In addition, it is important to lead an active lifestyle. Treatment of gout requires the acceleration of the metabolism and circulation. To do this, you need to actively move. In addition to regular sports activities, a toning massage is recommended.
There are also a number of folk methods. Among them, the use of tinctures of marigold, dill seed, veronica officinalis and many other herbs. The use of such drinks often does not lead to negative consequences. Unless a sick person has allergy to the ingredients of a tincture. But the best option is to drink 4 glasses of clean water a day. The proposed cold compresses and hot baths can cause damage to health. It is very important that a patient with gout avoids overcooling or overheating, as the ailment is accompanied by inflammatory processes. It is best to trust your doctor in choosing effective treatments. After that, the patient will only need to buy a necessary medicine. For this the patient needs to go to the nearest drugstore or on the site of one of the Greek online pharmacies, since they are one of the best on the Internet.
You also need to know that gout is a hereditary illness. If in your family there were similar cases then you, unfortunately, automatically fall into the risk group.
