In the middle ages, gout is known to be a disease of rich people. Now days, it is a common metabolism illness which is found in adults and associated with the nutrition.
Gout results in the excessively high uric acid levels in the blood. Gout is basically a form of arthritis, as there is accumulation of uric acid (which is a waste product) and affects the bigger toes, joints, fingers, heals. When uric acid levels are high in the blood, crystals of it accumulate in the joints and give panic attacks. This process triggers swelling, inflammation and severe pain.
But now you must be worrying that how this uric acid level increases in the blood stream?
I will tell you how. Food that we ate especially animal products contains an organic compound called as purines which are changed into uric acid by the metabolic activity of the body. Uric acid is then cleaned out from the body with the help of kidneys. If this function of kidney gets disturbed, the uric acid will remain in the body. This means that the uric acid levels in the blood increases.
Now you must be having a question how it can be diagnosed right?
Here is the answer; it can be diagnosed by blood test. Men are much more affected than the women. However, the risk for women increases as she progressive to the stage of menopausal because the protective hormone estrogen will no longer provided.
One more question arises then what would be the treatment?
If uric acid is high the first preferred treatment is given to nutrition. If these levels remain high for a long period of time and changes in the diet does not make any effect then secondary line of treatment is medicines. This will either reduce the production of uric acid or increase the elimination of the uric acid through kidneys.
Some tips that can be followed in managing your uric acid levels.
• Watch your weight; try to lose slowly if you are obese.
• Eat fruits and vegetables in the diet.
• Include whole grains in the diet.
• Enjoy low fat dairy products every day.
• Keep an eye on the high purine foods like spinach, asparagus, and apricot and so on.
• Avoid organ meat like pork, ham, shell fish, tinned fish.
• Eliminate alcohol from your daily life as it increases the risk of high uric acid.
• Drink at least 2 liters of water throughout the day so as to eliminate the waste through urination.
• Eat low fat diet as increase in fat consumption leads to weight gain.
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