How To Define Gout

To define gout properly, there are several important points to touch on to completely and accurately answer the “what is gout?” question and they are:

• What Causes Gout
• Symptoms of Gout
• Gout Treatments.

To define gout treatments, allopathic and holistic medicines have differing opinions and protocols. Evaluating and assessing lifestyle choices is covered to varying degrees by both systems.

The general population would typically define gout by the incessant and unbearable pain. But there are other important factors to consider when defining gout; the impact on quality of life and longevity.

What Causes Gout

Gout is a condition of an overly acidic-inner body environment that is caused by an high levels of uric acid. Uric acid is a naturally occurring antioxidant produced by the body that crystallizes in any number of joints when the kidneys cannot sufficiently process the volume of it.

A common way to define gout is to point out that high purine foods lead to an excess of uric acid. Uric acid is the by-product of the metabolic breakdown of purines, and purines are part of the cellular structure of all food sources.

Meats and various protein sources are commonly higher in purine content. In the past, it’s been readily assumed that avoiding these types of foods was the logical way to avoid gouty events. It is now recognized that processed foods and synthetic sugars are the driving factor of the huge increase in gout over the last two decades.

Symptoms and Characteristics

Gout is often defined or identified by these well-known symptoms of gout; inflamed, red, hot, swollen, and extremely painful joints. Famously, the big toe joint is the most common, but also the entire foot or hand, ankle or wrist, and sometimes the knees and elbows can be affected.

In the early stages of gout, many people struggle to recall a specific injury or event that could possibly result in the enormous amount of pain. People regularly think they’ve stubbed their toes, twisted their ankles, or sprained their wrists.

It is correct to suspect gout when there is a very painful, red and inflamed joint involved that is not associated with any physical trauma.

Statistics

Also valuable in defining gout is who is afflicted with it the most often. Men are more prone to gout than women by 3 to 1. Women are more likely to get gout after menopause when estrogen production becomes lower.

As stated by CDC.gov, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) the incidence of gout in black men is twice that of white men, according to the Mehary-Hopkins Study of gout.

What also needs to be taken into consideration in defining gout is the alarming rate that it is increasing.  In studies done for the American College of Rheumatology, gout has risen over the last two decades to 4% of Americans, which equates to approximately 8.3 million people.

Stages and Types

It is helpful to define gout in its various stages:

1. Hyperuricemia – elevated levels of uric acid but no gout attacks
2. Acute Gout – the first few isolated incidences of gout
3. Chronic Gout – when gout becomes frequent and severe
4. Tophaceous Gout – when lumps of urate crystals form around the joints and severe, frequent attacks are common.

Treatments and Prevention

The final part of efficiently defining gout outlines how to treat gout attacks and how to prevent future attacks. Allopathic medicine is predominantly based on drugs. Holistic remedies cover diet, herbs, topical treatments, and other measures that work to neutralize the over-acidic inner body condition and relieve inflammation.

Gout Drugs

Since gout has been defined as a rapidly increasing degenerative disease on par with obesity, diabetes and heart disease, there are more new drugs making their way into the market.

However, the two most common drugs that are still widely used and tolerated are allopurinol and colchicine. Allopurinol attempts to inhibit and stabilize uric acid levels in the blood by every day use. Colchicine is a plant-based drug that has been used for thousands of years to curb the inflammation of gout attacks.

Natural Gout Remedies

Because part of what defines gout is elevated levels of uric acid in the blood, the most natural way to alleviate the pain of gout is to neutralize the acidity and bring the pH of the body chemistry back to a healthier, more alkaline state.

Many foods and minerals work as gout remedies like celery, cherries, and baking soda. When used properly, they can produce rapid changes in body pH. Also, topical measurements like soaking the affected joint in Epsom salts and warm water and alternating it with towel-wrapped ice packs, is a good way to neutralize the acidity of the affected connective tissues in a localized way.

     ☆ Remember!  You don’t need to define gout by the insufferable pain.