Gout is a type of arthritis that causes intense pain, swelling, and stiffness in a joint. It is the body's reaction to irritating crystal deposits in the joints. It usually affects the joint in the big toe. Gout attacks can come on quickly and keep returning over time, slowly harming tissues in the region of the inflammation, and can be extremely painful. Hypertension, Cardiovascular diseases, and Obesity are risk factors for gout. It is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in men, and although it is more likely to affect men, women become more susceptible to it after the menopause
If you have gout, you’ll probably feel swelling and pain in the joints of your foot, particularly your big toe. Sudden and intense pain, or gout attacks, can make it feel like your foot is on fire. When uric acid levels get high, they can form crystals, which lodge in and around the joints, causing a gout attack. But not everyone with high uric acid levels develops painful gout. How Gout develop? An excess of uric acid in the blood brings on gout. Uric acid comes from two places –body produces it and we get it from diet. Any extra uric acid usually filters through the kidneys and gets passed in urine. If the body produces too much uric acid or fails to excrete it in the urine, crystals of monosodium urate form in the joints and tendons. These crystals cause intense inflammation leading to pain swelling and redness.
Gout Triggers – You’re more likely to get gout if you: · are a middle-aged man or postmenopausal woman · have parents, siblings, or other family members with gout · Eat too much purine-rich food, such as red meats, organ meats, and certain fish. The build-up of uric acid in your blood from the breakdown of purines causes gout. · Certain conditions, such as blood and metabolism disorders or dehydration, make your body produce too much uric acid. · A kidney or thyroid problem, or an inherited disorder, can make it harder for your body to remove excess uric acid. · Drink alcohol · Take medications such as diuretics and cyclosporine.
Homoeopathic management of Gout Mild cases may be controlled by diet alone. Homeopathy has effective medicines to manage the acute pain in Gout. Recurring attacks of gout require long-term constitutional Homoeopathic Medicine to prevent damage to bone and cartilage and deterioration of the kidneys.