Learn about gout treatment

Gout or the disease of kings is one of the most common health problems that occur as a result of an increase in uric acid in the body and has a lot of damage to the joint, but it also has more than one treatment method that we mention in the following article.

Gout treatment

Gout is one of the diseases that affect the joints in general, especially the joint of the toes, the definition of the big toes, and severe pain occurs in the joint that comes in the form of seizures that occur suddenly, especially at night or early in the morning.

The main cause of gout is the arrival and accumulation of uric acid in the joints, which leads to pain and fatigue in the joint, and a feeling of more soreness when moving between sitting and standing. Both men and women suffer from gout, especially in the advanced stages of life.

Symptoms of gout

A person may feel some disturbing signs and symptoms of gout, including the following:

A feeling of sharp pain in the joints, especially the small joints such as the hands and feet, which makes the person feel severe bouts of pain for about a week.
Signs of swelling and inflammation appear on the joint, and the skin changes color to red and irritated.
The joint begins to stiffen, especially the knee and shoulder joints and is difficult to move easily.

Risk factors for gout

Gout, or what is called the disease of kings, is considered a joint disease, which occurs as a result of the accumulation of uric acid crystals around the joint, which leads to a defect in its functions and the patient feels pain in the affected part and affects the person’s lifestyle in general.

Some risk factors increase the chances of developing gouty arthritis, including:

Following an unbalanced diet and eating fast food that is full of preservatives and saturated fats.
Excessive drinking of soda and alcohol.
Infection with some diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure.
Taking diuretics that increase the level of uric acid in the blood.
The sex of the person, because men are more susceptible than women, especially in the early stages of life, and it affects women in the postmenopausal period.
Having a sick history of gout in the person’s family.

How to diagnose gout

The symptoms and signs of gout appear on the patient clearly and the doctor can distinguish them from the clinical diagnosis of the patient and ask about the symptoms he feels, and to complement the diagnosis, the patient performs other laboratory and radiological examinations, which are:

Using X-rays and MRIs that help clarify the actual condition of the joint and the extent of the damage.
Laboratory tests and analysis of uric acid in the blood and analysis of urine samples to ascertain the percentage of acid in the body.

What is the treatment for gout?

Gout is considered one of the diseases for which early treatment helps to reduce the severity of symptoms and help the patient to live with the disease.

Treating gout with medication

A person can take more than one type of medication according to the treatment plan developed by the attending physician, which works primarily to relieve pain and reduce the level of uric acid, the cause of gout, in the blood, and these drugs are:

Painkillers and anti-inflammatories

The doctor recommends more than one type of analgesic and gout treatments, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, colchicine, indomethacin, oxycodone, and other drugs that help reduce seizures that occur to the patient and avoid a large part of the symptoms.

Uric acid-lowering medications

Doctors work with gout patients to reduce uric acid, which increases the accumulation of crystals around the joint, which makes the symptoms of infection decrease, and among these drugs are allopurinol and probenecid.

The chances of treatment can increase if the person pays attention to several tips in addition to drug treatment, which helps relieve pain and feels more able to move, and these instructions include the following:

Starting to exercise regularly helps the body get rid of the uric acid accumulated inside it.
Avoid stress and tension.
Maintain a healthy weight.
A well-balanced diet works to maintain a person’s health.
Commitment to drinking sufficient amounts of water.

How to treat gout at home?

So far, no definitive treatment has been reached for gout, but there is more than one home method to relieve symptoms and control seizures that occur to the patient, and they are as follows:

Ice packs

Gout causes pain in the joint, and the person feels difficulty when moving. The patient can use cold water compresses that reduce swelling and reduce pain caused by irritation and inflammation, and he can put them on the joint for 20 minutes once a day.

Follow a proper diet

Food plays an essential role in coexisting with gout and reducing the intensity of pain caused by it in the body, and some types of food should be avoided, including red meat, sugars, and harmful fats, you should follow up your diet with a specialist doctor to determine the most suitable foods for you.

drink water

A person needs to increase the amount of water and fluids in the body, which helps to get rid of the high amounts of uric acid in the body, and drinking water regularly avoids dehydration of the body and helps in enhancing the ability of the kidneys to purify the body from toxins and excess uric acid.

Playing sports

Sports can help the person reach a state of psychological stability and reduce the severity of symptoms as a result of strengthening the muscles that relieve the load on the affected joints.

What is the treatment for gout in the foot?

Gout may affect more than one joint in the body, but the most common joint in gout injuries is the foot, especially the big toe, on which symptoms appear directly and the person begins to feel pain and swelling in it, whether at night or early in the morning.

A person can reduce the pain associated with gout by working to follow the doctor’s instructions and working to start one of the treatment methods, which are:

Pharmacological treatment: The doctor can prescribe types of drugs that work to reduce symptoms and help the person to live with his current life.
Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy and exercises for gout patients help reduce pain and increase the ability to move naturally.
Surgical treatment: Sometimes doctors resort to surgeries, and this is in the case of the need to completely replace the joint with an artificial one.

Does hot water treat gout?

Doctors confirmed that hot water has a role in treating gout and improving the condition of the affected person and helping him achieve greater comfort and the ability to live life normally, gout treatment with hot water reduces inflammation and increases blood circulation naturally in the body.

Hot water compresses on the joint and using them for 15 minutes a day can remove redness and irritation of the skin and calm the swelling in the joint, but some doctors warned against using hot water for severe inflammation that led to ulcers in the skin.

Does walking benefit a gout patient?

Many gout patients asked about the effect of walking on them, and doctors answered in this context that walking is important for a gout patient – if it does not cause an increase in joint pain – because it helps to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and increases the strength of the muscles that support the joints and makes it move better.

Advice for a healthy walk for a gout patient

It can start gradually by walking slowly and then increase the speed and time allotted for walking.
Wear suitable and comfortable footwear so as not to exacerbate the symptoms of pain and inflammation in the joints.
Use cold water compresses if you feel pain.
Take the medicines prescribed by the doctor regularly.

Treatment of gout with salt water

Alternative medicine or non-pharmacological treatment has proven to be very effective in treating gout, and some doctors have explained that non-medicinal products are important in the treatment plan for a gout patient, and water and salt can be used in the bathtub or compresses of water and salt, which helps rid the joint of swelling.

Treatment of gout permanently with herbs

There is more than one way to treat gout, including alternative medicine methods, which are herbal treatments that affect and limit the signs associated with gout. Here are some herbs that have proven effective in improving the patient’s condition and his ability to move normally.

What are the herbs that treat gout?

Ginger: It is considered one of the medicinal herbs used by patients and has many benefits, including reducing swelling and anti-inflammatory, and a person can use it topically on the joint when mixed with water – if it does not cause an allergy to the person -.
Turmeric: Turmeric can help a person get rid of the pain in the joint and get rid of swelling in the joint by making compresses on the swollen foot.
Hibiscus: It is considered one of the herbs that help the body get rid of toxins, reduce inflammation, stimulate cells to function normally, and reduce the chances of developing high blood pressure that may lead to gout.
Celery: Celery herb and its seeds are one of the famous herbs in the treatment of gout, which works to get rid of swelling in the affected joint and reduces the intensity of pain when eating it, whether fresh or adding its seeds to your daily food.

What is the best treatment for gout?

There is more than one method for treating gout recommended by doctors, and drug treatment is often started, which works to reduce swelling and joint irritation and limit the spread of inflammation, including drugs that reduce the concentration of uric acid that causes gout in the body.

Two types of modern drugs have proven to be very effective in recent times, including (Byglutecase), which works to stick to uric acid in the body and get rid of it, and also (Lisnioride) and which works to reduce the body’s absorption of uric acid and is safe for renal insufficiency.