Cures for gout centre on prevention and respite of the pain and management of the levels of uric acid in the blood. Gout is among the most painful conditions that somebody can suffer from. It is a type of arthritis that is caused by uric acid crystals forming in the joints and can flare up intermittently. An attack of gout might last from a few days to more than a week and can cause inflammation in the joint, redness and tenderness accompanied by severe pain.
Pain relief is usually aimed at reducing the inflammation, typically with corticosteroids or NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs). Other pain relief medications can also be used such as paracetamol, Tylenol etc. In order to thwart gout attacks, uric acid levels have to be reduced and this is usually achieved in 2 ways. Firstly by preventing the production of uric acid and secondly by promoting its excretion.
Medications may be prescribed to prevent the the production of uric acid. These include Allopurinol, Puricase and Febuxostat.To encourage uric acid excretion uricosuric drugs are used although they should not be taken by anyone who has kidney disease.
Some Alternative Treatments for Gout
A lot of sufferers prefer some alternative treatments to drugs prescribed by a physician usually to avoid side effects or because they have other health problems. Medications and cures tackle three areas related to gout.
Stopping the Triggers That Cause Gout
Finding the the triggers that are causing your gout might not be easy. There are some that are obvious such as diuretics and can be dealt with by increasing fluid intake. Additional triggers may perhaps be medications, stress, illness and sometimes eating habits.
Pain Medication for Gout
Non-drug remedies for pain and decreasing tenderness are especially good for those who suffer from gout. Some helpful pain relief methods which do not require using medications include techniques that stimulate the body’s mechanisms to cope with pain.
Prevent Gout From Recurring
Losing some weight and taking more exercise can help a lot to prevent further periods of gout. Although it is widely believed that not eating particular foods will prevent gout this has not really been proved. The body naturally produces uric acid which is processed in the kidneys and the way they do this has a bigger effect than the food you eat.
Low purine diets have been commonly believed to to effect gout but this has not been shown to reduce the how much uric acid is in the blood. Losing weight if necessary and eating a healthy diet has a greater effect than just not eating these kinds of foods.
In Conclusion
Cures for gout concentrate on relieving the pain and blocking the production of uric acid in the body or stimulating more efficient excretion of the uric acid.
For more helpful information on gout visit Cures for Gout