Gout is a very complex and painful form of inflammatory arthritis.
Symptoms of Gout
Symptoms of gout develop when the levels of uric acid become too high in the blood due to the excessive consumption of purine in our bodies. A painful period of gout is called a gout attack. These painful flares of gout can start suddenly but can last for days and sometimes weeks. Gout occurs in only one joint at a time, it could be any joint in the body but mostly it is the big toe of the foot. Symptoms of gout that may affect your joints may include:
- Swelling
- Red, inflamed, itchy skin
- heat sensation
- Kidney stones
- Intense joint pain
- Fever due to joint pain
- Limited range of motion
What Is The Reason For Gout Attacks?
Gout develops in our joints when urate crystals grow. These urate crystals are the reason for the inflamed and extreme pain of the gout attack. Urate crystals can grow in our joints when the level of uric acid is very high in the blood.
A human body makes uric acid. Uric acid is a waste product found in the body. Uric acid is formed when a human body breaks down chemicals called purine. Most of the uric acid is dissolved in the blood, filtered out by the kidneys and passes out of the body in urine. A small amount of uric acid passes out of the body in the stool. There could be two reasons for the gout attack. One reason could be that if too much uric acid is being produced in the body then kidneys are not able to remove it from the blood normally. The second reason could be that your kidneys are not working properly and are unable to excrete uric acid from the blood.
A high level of uric acid in the blood builds up solid crystals within the joints and these crystals cause intense pain, swelling, tenderness and inflamed, itchy skin.
Purine and Uric Acid
Uric acid is produced when a body breaks down a chemical called purine. Purine is formed naturally in the body but it is also a natural substance found in certain foods. Purines are not all bad but the high amount of purines should be avoided. When the amount of purine in the body is out of balance, too much uric acid can build up in the bloodstream. This condition is called hyperuricemia. Uric acid should be eliminated from the body in urine but a build-up of uric acid crystals in the joints can cause gout.
High-Purine Food:
People with a high level of uric acid are advised to avoid eating foods that are high in purine. There are many plants and meat products that contain a high level of purine. Avoiding purine completely is impossible but you can limit the consumption of high purine food. Foods that should be avoided for the high level of uric acid include:
- Sugary foods, soft drinks and beverages specially made with high fructose corn syrup
- Seafood
- Red meat and organ meat
Moderate purine food includes:
- Meats such as chicken, ham or beef
- Shellfish such as shrimps, lobsters or crabs
Risk Factors For Gout
Gout may develop in your body if you have high levels of uric acid in your blood. Although doctors are not fully able to understand why some people have gout and others do not, many risk factors of gout are as under:
- Gender: Research has proven that men are 4 to 10 times more likely to have gout than women. Women are at risk of developing gout when they are under the process of menopause.
- Age: Most people develop gout between the ages of 30 to 50. Gout increases with age.
- Genetics: Research suggested that if anyone in your family has had gout, you are at risk of developing that disease too. The genes may make the body more prone to developing uric acid crystals that lead to gout.
- Weight: If you are overweight then you are at greater risk of developing gout. Obese people can have gout at a younger age. If you are overweight then your body produces more uric acid and kidneys could be overburdened and have a difficult time eliminating uric acid.
- Diet: The risk of gout increases by the consumption of red meat, seafood, sugary beverages and foods especially with fruit sugar(fructose), which are high in Purines. High purine produces a high level of uric acid in the blood which increases the risk of gout.
- Certain health conditions: Certain diseases increase the risk of gout attacks. These health conditions include hypertension(High blood pressure), insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney and heart dysfunction and obesity.
- Certain medications: Low-dose aspirin and some medicines for high blood pressure can increase the high level of uric acid.
Uric Acid Kidney Stones
Uric acid kidney stones are just one type of kidney stone, other types of kidney stones are unrelated to gout.
Uric acid is normally extracted through the body via the kidneys, but in some people, levels can remain high and uric acid can start to accumulate and crystalize in various joints. For people whose kidneys don’t filter waste well, the excess uric acid can crystalize in the kidney and form a type of kidney stone known as uric acid kidney stone. People with gout may be at higher risk of developing kidney stones because they have more acidic urine which makes it more likely to form kidney stones.
Gout diet Details
Diet could be a key to preventing gout attacks. One thing you have to keep in mind is that whatever you eat, can affect how much uric acid your body produces. A low amount of purine helps to reduce gout attacks. With the help of a proper gout diet plan, you will be able to achieve your health goals and those health goals are
- Achieve a healthy weight
- Habit to eat a balanced diet
- Control uric acid level
Weight Loss: Research suggests that reducing the number of calories and losing weight can lower uric acid levels. losing weight can also lessen the tension and stress on joints.
Consume Complex Carbs: It is very important to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains mean complex carbohydrates.
Avoid Sugary and Processed Food: Highly recommended to avoid foods and beverages with high-fructose corn syrup and also limit the consumption of naturally sweet fruit juices.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C can help lower your uric acid level but studies also show that high fructose juice may boost your uric acid levels so it is very important to talk to your doctor that how much vitamin c supplement you can consume.
Coffee: Some research suggests that drinking coffee in moderation may reduce your risk of gout.
Cherries: There is some evidence according to some researches that eating cherries may be associated with the reduction of gout attacks.
Well-hydrated: It is very essential to hydrate your body. Dehydration may increase the level of uric acid in the blood.
Proteins: Make proteins a part of your gout diet plan. Consume lean meat and poultry, low-fat dairy and non-dairy fat products such as yogurt and skim milk.
Best gout diet potions are Fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, whole grains, yogurt, low-fat milk, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, eggs and chicken. Everything is supposed to be in moderation.
Home Remedies to Ease Gout Pain
Gout is characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one or more joints. These remedies can ease the pain of gout attacks.
1- Apply a cold pack on the swollen area to ease inflammation and pain.
2- Use a cold compressor and soak your joint in the cold water for some time.
3- Dilute a spoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink it. Apple contains malic acid which helps to reduce the high levels of uric acid.
4- Apply a ginger root paste to a swollen joint. It helps to eliminate swelling and pain.
5- Choose fruits and vegetables with low-purine and high fibre content.
6- Apply a paste of baking soda on the affected area to ease the pain.
7- Take some rest to elevate the pain of swelling.
8- Hydrate your body to reduce the amount of uric acid in the blood.
9- Bananas are a good source of potassium and potassium helps to break down the uric acid crystals and convert them back to liquid.
10- Use Epsom salt to bathe the area of the body that is affected, it helps to lower blood pressure and relieve symptoms of gout.
Can We Do Exercise With Gout?
Exercise helps to control gout attacks. It promotes faster healing. Exercise also helps to maintain healthy bones, joints and muscles.
Walking is one of the best exercises to prevent gout attacks.
Swimming is a great way to mobilize the joints and to release the tension of muscles and joints.
Few yoga poses are excellent to circulate the blood around the body. Blood circulation helps to prevent uric acid crystals from being formed in your joints.
It is very important to do exercise in moderation.
High Uric Acid Or Gout And Hijama Cupping Therapy
Hijama Cupping Therapy is one of the best natural treatments for gout. Hijama cupping mobilizes uric acid so that it can be removed from the blood. Bad blood circulates the affected area of a gout attack. The blood becomes more stagnant and toxic. Cupping increases blood circulation and relieves painful muscle tension.
The treatment plan for Gout
For some clients, only one session is more than enough because they feel instant pain relief. But if one session is not enough for a client then two or three sessions are performed according to the client’s condition.
Al-Kahil sunnah point and lower back points are targetted.
If the next session is necessary then some of the legs points should be done and of course, foot sunnah points should be targetted as mostly uric acid crystals attack on the big toe of the foot.
Hijama is the best treatment for any kind of pain, inflammation and the removal of toxic and stagnant blood from the body. Some clients feel instant relief from the pain of a gout attack. However, Hijama is only successful for gout treatment if changes are made to their diet and lifestyle. When clients don’t care about diet then these gout attacks keep coming back.
Hijama is the best treatment for gout, rest, Allah knows the best.
