Gout is a painful condition that occurs when your body deposits uric acid, a waste product, in your joints and soft tissues instead of flushing it out of your body. It crystallizes in your joints, triggering bouts of pain, inflammation, swelling, redness, and stiffness. If not treated, gout attacks can become chronic, crippling your joints and limiting movement.
In many people, gout first strikes in the big toe. This is known as podagra. But you can get it in alternative joints and tissues, too, including your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and the insteps and heels of your feet. It tends to run in families, and men seem more likely than women to develop it. High blood pressure, obesity and alcohol abuse all raise your risk for gout.
Gout used to be called the “disease of kings” because of its association with rich foods and alcohol. But gout can attack anyone, even women, and once you suffer its agonizing pain, you’ll realize just how serious this disease can be. Read on for answers to frequently asked questions concerning gout.
The Five Important Questions About Gout
1: Are there specific foods I should avoid to prevent an attack?
A: The silver lining to gout is that you can control a lot of it by choosing (and not choosing) foods wisely. Avoid purine-rich foods, typically high-protein foods like organ meats and bacon, along with yeast, gravy, and fish such as herring, mackerel, and sardines. Avoid alcohol, especially beer, and also soft drinks. Alcohol contains purines, plus it encourages your body to make uric acid. Drinking as few as one sugar-sweetened soft drink a day raises your risk for gout. Diet soft drinks don’t have the same effect.
2: Are there foods I should add to my diet?
A: Here are two foods you should be consuming frequently. Make cherries your vitamin C fruit of choice, and you add the benefits of anthocyanins, natural plant chemicals that give the fruit its color. These little gems cut the inflammation and pain of gout. Skim milk was found to be helpful in one study. The orotic acid in dairy helps your kidneys pull uric acid out of your body.
3: What are some healthy habits I should adopt?
A: These three lifestyle choices will help you rebound more quickly. Try taking it easy. Stay in bed both during a gout attack and for at least 24 hours after the pain passes. Moving around too soon can aggravate the inflamed joint and trigger another gout attack. Steer clear of alcohol. Drinking alcohol puts you at greater risk for developing gout and can make attacks more severe. Get moving once you’re better. Obesity and high blood pressure are two big risk factors for gout. In addition to changing your diet, work with your doctor on an exercise program that can put the squeeze on health problems.
4: Can prescription drugs trigger an attack?
A: When it comes to gout, the danger isn’t all in what you eat. Certain drugs can also set you up for painful attacks. Some over the counter painkillers are common problem medications. Doctors often prescribe water pills for high blood pressure, but they’ve been linked to gout in older women with kidney problems. One medication is actually used to treat gout, but it can trigger flare-ups when you first begin taking it. It is top notch at preventing future attacks, so make sure you stick with it for the full benefits.
5: What's all the fuss about cherries and gout?
A: Cherries are rich in anthocyanins, pigments that give fruits and vegetables their red, blue, and purple colors. Anthocyanins may also combat inflammation, which is linked to the painful swelling that occurs when urate crystals form in your joints. Studies have linked cherries to reduced levels of uric acid in the blood. That’s important, because a buildup of the compound often leads to gout. Researchers aren’t exactly sure how cherries do it, but they say the fruit may help lower your body’s production of uric acid or assist your kidneys in filtering it from your blood.