Gout

My dad has gout. So does his brother and my granddad. Statistic has shown that at least one man in a hundred over the age of 40 has gout. Mind you, women also develop it too, mainly after menopause. Gout is a metabolic disorder caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. As a by-product of various body processes, our body get rid of uric acid through urine. However, some people produce too much uric acid, or unable to dispose it fast enough causing it to build up. The excess of uric acid is converted into needle-shaped crystal that will find it way to settle around joints and other tissue, causing imflammation and excruciating pain associated with gout.

Gout symptoms are as listed below:

• Sudden and severe joint pain, usually involving the big toe, ankle, heel, wrist, elbow, and fingers.
• Redness and swelling at the effected joints.
• Developing kidney stones, which could cause fever, extreme low back pain, nausea, vomiting or a swollen abdomen.
  

Gout attack is often treated with conventional drugs such as allopurinol and probenecid. If you don't want to take any drug for it, there is another alternatives. Such as bromelain, which seems to help during an acute attack. Bromelain is a popular natural anti-imflammatory that may relieve gout pain. When not using it for acute pain, you can decrease the dosage and add quercetin, which helps reduces uric acid levels. Take vitamin C as it helps to free uric acid from tissues. Take it 500 mg a day, and remember not too take a high dose of it because it might release so much uric acid at one time that may cause kidney stone to develop. Nettle can be helpful internally and externally. Nettle capsules clear out axcess uric acid and nettle tea compresses may offer relief to imflamed joints.

What else can you do in order to prevent a gout attack? Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to dilute the urine and help lower uric acid levels. People with gout are advised to stay away from alcohol. Keep yur weight down, as men who gain a lot of weight around the ages of 20 and 40 are particularly vulnerable. Certain food are best to avoid such as offal, anchovies, legumes, oatmeal, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, and mushrooms. Also stay away from fats, refined carbohydrates and excess protein.