Simple Treatment Options for Gout
A person with high cholesterol and with extreme weight would be more probable to have gout. Many people might have a painful gout attack, but that is not the only kind of gout that occurs in a human body. One should check on his or her blood pressure and diabetes to get rid of the chance of having gout. There is nothing that one can do to stop a gout attack if it starts once. It is incurable but is not uncontrollable. Uric acid is one of the main reasons for gout attacks. The pain that occurs during a gout attack is caused due to the higher level of uric acid. One might be awakened in the middle of the night with a painful attack, and the worst part is that he won’t be able to stop it no matter what he tries.
Gone are the days when gout use to happen only in the feet. Nowadays, the rate of a gout attack is increasing among women as well and is often seen happening in the knees and fingers. In women, the gout attack is more probable if a woman has had her menopause, but in men, it only occurs due to the excess fat, cholesterol and uric acid. Uric crystals form, to cause painful gout flare. Many things such as alcohol, some foods, stress, and some medications, can cause your uric acid level to rise abnormally, leaving you prone to a gout attack.
Gout might begin with an itching, burning, or tingling feeling in the joint and the joints might feel a little stiff or sore due to the pre-symptoms of a gout attack. The gout treatments that can be helpful to stop further gout swelling and attacks. A gout attack is quite painful, and the joint affected swell and made even touching the area impossible. Here are some treatments of a gout attack that has proved to be helpful to manage the condition:
- Bed – The best place to be during the gout pain or attack is in bed. Optimum rest is required whenever the attack takes place, and resting can be one of the effective treatment for gout and is the initial stage of treatment for gout. Resting the joint is extremely necessary even when there is gouty arthritis.
- Anti-inflammatory medicine – Anti-inflammatory medicines are really helpful to treat the swelling that occurs after the gout attack. Over the counter, drug or medicines are non-steroid medicines. These can be used as the treatment for gout. NSAIDs such as naproxen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, sulindac, celecoxib, or meloxicam are some of the non-steroid medicines that have proved to be effective for so long and are helpful in reducing the inflammation.
- Hydration – It is essential to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water during a gout attack. Alcohol and any soda should be strictly avoided. Water can flush the uric acid crystals out of the system and even drain out gout. Stabilization of body can only be done with the help of water.
- Steroids – If the non- steroid medications seize to work, steroid drugs should always be the option and solve the problem as it blocks the uric acid crystals to block and helps in blocking the gout attack further. However, it is better to take these medicines as directed by your doctor.
- Diet – A well-planned diet should obviously be followed. The diet should have lots of vegetables, and animal meat should be avoided. Some seafood and animal meat have highly concentrated uric acid in it; one should avoid that as well. There should always be a strict no-no on the consumption of alcohol or any sweet or carbonated soft drinks.
- Specific medication – Some of the medicines that vanish gout flares can also be prescribed by the doctor. If any other natural treatment for gout fails to work, you may ask the concerned doctor to prescribe medicines such as allopurinol, colchicine, febuxostat, lesinurad, or probenecid.
- Patience is the key – It is necessary to be patient and wait for gout to cure. It is necessary to remember that gout cannot be cured instantly. Any medication or any home treatments for gout would take a while to react upon the affected area and cure it. It can take about three to four months to be cured. Some medicines can have an opposite effect of gout flair as well. But that is only because the body is getting adjusted to the medicine.
These are the possible treatments for gout. If the treatment for gout does not seem to work, it is better to call the doctor immediately and opt for further advice and medicines. However, one needs to be sure first whether it is a Gout flare or a joint infection as it has the same symptom as gout.