Gout Helpful Tips

Where to Begin

One of the best cures for gout is prevention and warding it off before it ever begins, but in some cases it just doesn’t happen that way.  You end up with it before you even know what has hit you.  Gout is extremely painful and generally will wake you up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in your big toe.  However, it is important to know that gout can strike any joint in your body.  It can occur in your knees, ankles or elbows.

 

Individual Care for Your Gout

Taking good care of your body to begin with can help prevent gout from even starting, but if you do have signs of gout there are a few things you can do to help cure it.

 

  • Drink water – Drinking water will help the kidneys to function properly so that they get rid of the uric acid through your urine like they should.  Drinking water will also keep the body hydrated which allows the entire body to function normally.
  • Diet changes – You might have to take a look at your diet and cut back on a few things.  You should eat a diet that is lower in purines and avoid things such as organ meat and seafood (shellfish particularly).
  • Avoid alcohol – Cut back on the amount of alcohol as it contains a lot of the purines that you are trying to avoid.
  • Exercise – Maintain a normal exercise routine so that you can keep your joints healthy and moving the way they should be.
  • Eat fruits – Eating a lot of berries can also help in the cure for gout.  These are high in Vitamin C which is good for your gout and good for your body overall.
  • Maintain weight – It is important that you maintain a healthy weight to help prevent gout.  The additional stress that you put on your joints if you are overweight can contribute to an outbreak of gout.  So keep your weight in line with your height and it will decrease your chances of gout ever occurring.
  • Talk to your doctor – Talk to your doctor if you have suffered a gout attack and medication might be an option that you should consider.  It can probably be short term if you continue to eat healthy and exercise.  Make sure your doctor knows if you are on any other type of medication as it can be something that contributes to gout or it might interfere with another medication he needs you to take.

 

Overall, prevention is the best cure for gout, but if you are suddenly awakened in the middle of the night with a gout attack, there are things you can do to find relief and to eventually eliminate it from your life completely.