Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Get Rid Of Gout

Get Rid of Gout








Millions of individuals all over the world suffer from excruciating pain in the joints otherwise known as gout. People who tend to suffer from gout have a buildup of uric acid crystals in different tissues throughout their body. This buildup typically occurs around the person's tendons and joints, causing pain, tenderness and occasionally a fever as well. While this ailment can certainly leave individuals frustrated and in pain, there are a few things you can do to help get rid of the pain and get back to a healthy and active lifestyle.


Instructions


1. Drink lots of fluids every day. One of the best ways to help process and rid the body of uric acid is to drink plenty of water and vegetable juices. Drink three liters of water and vegetable juice a day to help cleanse your body of uric acid buildup and to also give some added protection against kidney stone formation.








2. Avoid or limit your intake of foods that are purine rich. Your body's natural functions turn purine into uric acid, and the more uric acid buildup you have, the greater the risk of having gout. Most foods that are high in protein also contain high levels of purine, so you cannot cut out all foods that have purine, but should try reducing the amount of meat you eat.


3. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. These types of foods are low in protein and purine, so they will prevent having a uric acid buildup in your body.


4. Stop drinking alcoholic beverages. Drinking alcoholic beverages such as beer negatively affects how your body processes and removes uric acid from the body. The damage done by consuming these type of beverages can lead to uric acid buildup and eventually to gout.


5. Eat bing cherries to help reduce your uric acid levels. One study done by the U.S. Agricultural Research Service's researchers in Davis, Calif., demonstrated that individuals who are in the middle of a bad attack and consume bing cherries see a drop in their uric acid level within a few short hours of consumption. This helps reduce the duration and severity of the attack.


6. Take the appropriate medication. Typically there are three different types of medicine used to treat gout. One relieves the pain, the other reduces inflammation, and the third helps to reduce the buildup of uric acid that triggers gout. The best medicine to use for pain relief is Tylenol. The best treatment for inflammation is colchicine, which is a non-steroidal drug.

Tags: uric acid, acid buildup, uric acid buildup, foods that, alcoholic beverages, bing cherries, body uric