What to Do About a Gout Attack

Gout is an arthritic condition which is formed because of a uric acid concentration which is too high. The uric acid then forms crystals which settle in clumps within various joints in your body. This crystal formation is what creates inflammation in your joints, which results in pain that can become unbearable very quickly.

People who experience attacks of gout are generally those who indulge in a diet that is relatively high in meat content; especially red meat, fish and meat products such as liver, tongue and intestines. Had these people been properly balancing their diet to include a higher amount of plant product, they may not have experienced the gout attack at all, or in such a severe way. Also, people who are overweight suffer from high cholesterol, or who consume a great deal of alcohol tends to experience many of the same problems. There are certain medications that can incite a gout attack as well, including but not limited too many diuretics, an excess amount of Vitamin B, and certain drugs that are used to treat cancer in addition to cyclosporine and even low-dose aspirin.

A gout attack usually occurs at night, and tends to affect the big toe first and foremost. The toe, or in some cases, the joint, becomes hot and gradually very painful, and will become increasingly painful if palpated. Although gout attacks can affect many joints including the instep and the knee, the big toe is typically where the attacks begin.

If you believe that you are having a gout attack, the best thing that you can do is call your doctor in order to get medical treatment. You will want to put a hot pack or ice pack on the afflicted joint, and keep all weight off of it. Now is a stellar time for you to rest, and relaxing and applying heat or ice will significantly reduce the amount of pain. However, the sooner you seek out medical treatment, the sooner you will feel better all together, as the gout attack will not go away completely unless it has been treated medically.

If you do not get medical treatment for a gout attack, you may come to develop a condition which is called Tophi. This usually occurs after years of neglecting the attacks from gout. This is marked by soft tissue damage which is caused by uric crystals usually affecting the elbows, knees, hands and fingers. Another effect may be kidney stones, or kidney disease. If left untreated, the bone which attaches to the afflicted joint may be completely destroyed by the constant gout attacks.

Your doctor is your best advisor for your gout attack, as he or she may prescribe medication in order to help prevent more gout attacks in the future, and some of these medications may also break down the crystals to help you wash them out of your system.

Some things you can do to help prevent your gout attacks include but are not limited to losing weight, drinking plenty of fluids in order to wash out uric acid crystals, and to follow a low salt and low purine diet in order to keep cholesterol and purine-levels down. You may also want to avoid alcohol completely if you have a problem with drinking.