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Whenever a gout attack occurs the human body is unable to effectively discharge the uric acid that should be broken down in the blood and excreted by the kidneys. Uric crystal deposits forms in the body, usually accumulating in joints, causing redness, swelling and pain.

The level of pain experienced by the sufferers varies greatly from bearable to excruciating. Some are able to move about, but because gout starts at the foot and knee area, walking is severely impaired. The uric deposits can also accumulate the joints in the hands. In some instances, a slight fever is also present; going about usual tasks is greatly affected by this disease.

Food rich in purine content is often blamed for having gout. Some of the foods said to increase uric acid are beef and seafood; huge alcohol intake is also said to elevate uric acid level. But aside from these, there are other conditions that can make you more susceptible to this illness: obesity, high blood pressure, stress and old age. In addition, children with parents suffering from this disease are likely to be vulnerable.

Men are prone to be inflicted by this form of arthritis when reaching the age of 30, while the opposite sex gets affected after the menopausal period. Often, sufferers will experience an advanced stage of this disease as the early stages can go unnoticed because symptoms are not easily felt.

Gout attacks may happen once in a lifetime and never come back. While others with bearable pain opt to go about with the usual physical activities, it is best to take a rest when it strikes. This will help control the swelling; applying cold compress to the affected part will also do the trick. Applying severe pressure will worsen the situation. However, it is critical to seek medical attention as soon as it occurs to properly diagnose the disease. It’s important to note that an increase in uric acid level could mean an indication of a worst medical condition like kidney failure, among others.

An attack can usually last for up to two weeks and then go away without being treated. Taking medications prescribed by doctors can shorten the length of time and lets you go back to work in less than a week. Aside from taking a blood sample to determine the level of uric acid, doctors may need to extract fluid from the affected joint using a syringe for further scrutiny. This will help properly diagnose the disease and recommend the best medication. It will also require close supervision by requiring the sufferer to visit the doctor on a regular basis. The frequency will depend on the patient’s medical condition.

A change in lifestyle is best recommended to prevent and cure gout. This will include a modification on the foods eaten, making a conscientious effort to eat healthy. Although red meat, seafood and alcohol are not totally prohibited, they should be taken in moderation.

There are many causes of this condition, some of which are controllable (such as your diet) and some of which are out of your control (such as a genetic predisposition to gout).

Your diet can be a contributor to gout through the consumption of foods that contain a high amount of purine. This cause of gout is within your control, but will take some discipline. So what exactly are purines and why do they lead to gout? Purines are an organic compound that is found naturally in the body and in the foods that we eat. Our body breaks down purines into uric acid, which then bonds to the lining of our blood vessels and keeps them from being damaged. However, when too much uric acid builds up in the blood it crystallizes and sticks to our joints and organs, which then become swollen and inflamed (a condition called arthritis). While it is important to have purines in our diet, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing.”

Purines are found in virtually all foods, though not all purines are the same. Meats and seafood have a higher purine content and are associated with a greater risk of gout, while the purines that are commonly found in vegetables are not considered to be as much of a health risk. Purines in dairy products are also not considered a gout risk, and it is even claimed that the purines in dairy products may help your body fight gout.

If you have gout and it is determined that your diet is the main culprit, your doctor will likely recommend that you follow a low-purine diet. This means cutting down on fatty foods, white meats, beef, chicken and processed foods. It may also be advised that you cut down on certain vegetables such as mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, etc., as well as legumes (peas and beans). Beer is also a cause of gout as the yeast contains purine. Your doctor will advise that you reduce your daily intake of purine to between 100 and 150 milligrams, depending on your size.

Gout can be a painful, uncomfortable burden, but by identifying the cause of it, at least you can go about combating it. So if you suffer from gout, take a look at your diet and make the appropriate changes to help alleviate the problem.

If you are looking for a cure for gout in a pill form, look for one with the ingredient CM8, a breakthrough gout treatment found in select pills used for joint pain.

Arthritis of any sort is painful, but gout is probably tops in that department. Forget shoes and socks, bed sheets cause too much pain. If you can walk, it’s not very far and definitely not easy. That’s because gout usually attacks the right big toe first.

Once the doctor has diagnosed the problem, treatment options are discussed. If you want to avoid a repeat performance, prepare for your life to be changed. Your choices of food and drink will be limited, as will the use of some medications and herbal remedies. You may even have problems with your normal exercise routine.

Gout is caused by excess uric acid, the waste product from the purine found in protein. If the kidneys don’t filter it all out, it forms into crystals. After they hit a certain weight, they become to heavy and get dropped off into joints. The irritation caused by the sharp crystals are the symptoms of gout.

You can limit the number of flare ups with a careful diet. Avoiding some foods can help, and adding or increasing others will also be beneficial. Here are a few examples:

Alcohol: With the exception of limited amounts of red wine, alcohol should be avoided. Beer and its cousins are particularly bad, as they do two things; dehydrate and provide extra purine. Dehydration is one way to ensure a new bout.

Aspirin: This pain killing product can change how well your kidneys filter out uric acid, leading to an excess amount in the blood. Low dose aspirin (81 mgs and under) may not be as bad as higher dosages.

Cherries: This fruit and tart cherry juice may be a tasty way of getting rid of a gout flare up and preventing future ones. Recent studies indicate that cherries may significantly reduce uric acid levels in the blood and increase excretion of it.

Protein: Foods high in protein, including meat, seafood and vegetable sources, contain purine. Organ and processed meats contain the highest amounts, but even beans and other vegetables have some. It’s not known if vegetable purine acts the same way that meat purine does, but it is a good idea to watch even those foods.

Diet is important in getting rid of gout. But knowing what makes a good diet is confusing. Here, you’ll find a recommended gout diet that lists foods to avoid and foods you can eat, to help you get rid of gout.

Why is diet just so important when trying to get rid of gout? It is all because of chemical compounds called ‘purines’. These help to convert your food to energy and your genes to protein among other things. During this metabolizing process, they break down and uric acid is produced as a byproduct.

And, as you probably already know, high levels of uric acid can lead to the formation of uric acid crystals in your joints that cause the symptoms of gout. So, as a gout sufferer, you need to lower your uric acid levels to help get rid of your gout.

Now, purines also exist in your food, as well as your body’s cells, so that you need to reduce your intake of those foods that are high in purines. But there are foods which have relatively low purine levels which you can eat without any problems.

In general, the foods with the highest purine concentrations are those that have high protein levels. This includes fatty red meat, offal, game, poultry, some fish, shellfish, legumes, yeast, etc. Alcohol should also be avoided.

In particular, it is recommended that you avoid venison, pheasant, partridge, heart, liver, kidneys, anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel, broth, gravy, shrimp, scallops, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, mushrooms, soy, oatmeal, mincemeat, meat extracts, and yeast including yeast extracts.

And the foods, with low purine levels, that you can safely eat, generally fall within; low-fat dairy products, high vitamin C foods, essential fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, most green leafy vegetables, and fruit.

So typical foods you can eat as part of a recommended gout diet are: tuna, flax-seed, nuts, rice, pasta, cereals, potatoes, red bell peppers, red cabbage, green cabbage, kale, parsley, celery, low-fat yoghurt, low-fat cheese, low-fat milk (not soy), cherries, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, etc.

But there are other important issues that affect your propensity to get gout such as; your lifestyle, your weight position, your family history of gout and/or arthritis, medical conditions, medications, etc.

And preventing recurring gout is really important, because frequent gout attacks can result in permanently damaged joints over time, as well as kidney problems such as very painful kidney stones.

You’re in luck though. There’s a special gout report available online [see below] that has all the information you need in one place. It is what thousands of ex-gout victims worldwide have successfully used to prevent their gout returning. It also contains a special 2 hour gout pain relief program.

And it uses fully-researched, totally natural methods. So that you benefit two ways:

(1) you get rid of your excruciating pain very fast, and,

(2) you prevent your gout returning, so that you reduce the risk of permanent damage.