Gout Prevention and Treatment

What is gout? Gout is a uric acid level build up in your blood resulting in the formation of uric acid crystals in the tissues throughout your body. This build-up of crystals in your tissues can be very painful in your joints and oftentimes in your big toe. In fact, the gout pain can be great enough to make a man cry.

The person suffering from gout is interested in two things: how to prevent gout conditions from happening in the first place and remedies for gout symptoms when they occur.

One way towards gout prevention is to insure that you are able to manage effective digestion of the food you eat.

The most important factor in effective digestion is making sure that you chew your food well. Chewing your food well so that the first phase of digestion begins means chewing your food until it is nearly in liquid form. This allows your mouth's digestive juices or enzymes to mix with your food. Not taking this important step may result in indigestion and will cause problems further along.

Another method that will aid in effective digestion is the consumption of  Cayenne pepper before meals. One capsule or one teaspoon mixed in water should do it. Peppermint or ginger tea after meals should also aid in giving your digestion a boost.

You will also want to avoid the consumption of liquids while eating your meals. What you want to keep from happening is the dilution of your stomach's digestive enzymes from becoming diluted. This dilution will result in some of the nutritional value of your food being lost.

Foods to Avoid

Foods high in purine may cause you problems. Purine rich foods you always want to avoid due to high levels of purine are Kidney meat, liver, anchovies, sardines, sweet bread, lunch meats, and meat extracts. eating these foods will definately increase your risk factor.

Foods which are moderately high in purine such as turkey, chicken, other fish and meats than the ones listed above, lentils, peas, beans, whole grains, asparagus, spinach, and mushrooms may be consumed in moderation except during a gout attack.

Foods high in fat may also be a problem for folks with gout. Foods high in fat tend to block the elimination of uric acid when consumed in high quantities. Foods such as butter, eggs, cheese, and peanuts should only be eaten in moderation.

Natural Remedies and Supplements To Help Alleviate and Prevent Gout Attacks

Some natural supplements that may aid in the treatment of gout symptoms may include celery seed supplement. This supplement may help to eliminate uric acid by flushing it out before it can build up and form crystals in your tissues.

Another supplement that may also help in this regard is one or two glasses of red or black cherry juice per day. People with gout have also reported some success eating fresh cherries.

Some folks have found success in dealing with chronic gout flare-ups through the use of acupuncture and auricular stimulation.

Although most of us have heard of acupuncture few of us know what auricular stimulation therapy is. Auricular stimulation therapy is the placement of electrodes to different parts of the patient's external ear. Small electrical pulses are then applied to affect different parts of the body.

In the United States, it seems that the preferred method of treatment for gout is with the use of pharmaceutical drugs. The three most prescribed drugs in the US are Colchicine, Allopurinol, and Uloric. Although effective, they do come with side effects.

If your chosen method of gout treatment  is through drug therapy or medication, you will need to consult with a physician or your health care provider. If your decided method of treatment is the natural route, a herbalist or accupuncturist might be your best bet.