Gout Arthritis

Gout Arthritis Is Treatable

One of the most painful disorders which can affect your joints is gout arthritis. Gout arthritis has been around for eons and has been studied extensively by physicians. We now know that gout arthritis is brought on by an excessive amount of uric acid in the body. When your body has an excess of uric acid, many things can happen. Kidney stones can develop, tophi (hard nodules) may gather under the skin, and crystal deposits may also form around the joints. Gout arthritis can affect anyone. Research tells us that men are more at risk, yet women are more susceptible to gout arthritis after they go through menopause. Gout arthritis can be contributed to genetics, foods, alcohol, medication and low water consumption.

If you have gout arthritis, you will know something is wrong. In most cases, patients report being awakened by an attack. The joint site will eventually swell, become tender and very painful. Common sites for arthritis gout include the big toe, feet and ankles.

If you think you are experiencing gout arthritis, you should go to your doctor. A simple blood test will reveal if you have gout arthritis, or not. Other tests your doctor may perform can include a urine test, and a joint fluid test. All of these tests will revel if you have a high level of uric acid in your system.

Gout arthritis is one form of arthritis which is treatable. There are medications which can relieve the pain and swelling, as well as medications which can block uric acid production. There is no reason why anyone has to suffer with the pain of gout arthritis in our modern age.

There are a few things you can do to prevent gout arthritis. First, you should avoid drinking alcohol in excess. High levels of alcohol in the blood can lead to high uric acid levels. Secondly, you should try to lose weight if you are heavy or obese. Obesity is hard on the body filtering system. Do not consume too many high-purine foods. Some of these foods include sardines, kidneys, shellfish, herring and mushrooms. Third, drink plenty of water. This saturates your body with the necessary fluid it needs to flush out excessive amounts of uric acid.