Do you have one of the most common types of arthritis known as gout? If you do, you should know some things about this condition before trying to prevent or reduce your gout attacks. First, you might want to learn what causes gout.
When your blood has excess uric acid crystals, they start to accumulate in your joints. These uric acid buildups in joints cause gout attacks which can be extremely painful. This type of arthritis usually affects joints located in the feet, especially the metatarsophalangeal joint (at the base of your big toe).
However, gout can also affect the knee, ankle, elbow, and wrist joints.
The symptoms you feel before a gout attack include itching or a burning sensation in the affected area. The attack can last for a few minutes, or up to a few hours during which you’ll likely experience severe pain.
Now, let’s explain what are the exact causes and symptoms of gout so that you can easily treat and prevent gout attacks.
Causes of Gout
- The main cause of gout is excess uric acid in the blood which accumulates in your joints, making them swollen.
- Another cause of gout includes highly acidic foods and beverages, like meat and alcohol.
- Dehydration is another possible cause of this joint Namely, if you’re dehydrated, your kidneys won’t be able to eliminate the uric acid through the urine. This, in turn, leads to uric acid buildup.
Symptoms of Gout
- Throbbing pain in the affected joint
- Redness, inflammation, and swelling
- In case of progressed gout, the pain and other symptoms can last for weeks. The joint flexibility might be reduced and the risk of more severe gout attacks increased.
Home Treatments for Gout
You can help relieve your joint pain due to gout with many anti-inflammatory or over-the-counter medications, but only temporarily. Your gout will still be here and attack again.
You can follow a healthy diet and limit your alcohol consumption to help eliminate your gout and prevent further gout attacks from occurring. Also, you should increase your water intake to keep your body hydrated.
Another thing you can do to reduce the pain and discomfort when experiencing a gout attack is to apply ice and raise the affected area to slow the blood flow.
If you don’t treat this condition properly and on time, you might need to ask for medical treatment.
Here are several home treatments for gout you can try whenever you experience a gout attack. They will not only treat your joint condition properly but will also prevent further attacks from happening.
1st Treatment – Apple Cider Vinegar
This vinegar can help alkalize the acidic environment and break up the uric acid crystals in your joints, thus maintaining normal pH levels in the blood. Don’t use refined apple cider vinegar (ACV) but organic one that contains “the mother.”
Organic ACV has anti-inflammatory properties which help reduce the pain and swelling from gout immediately. You can use it both, internally or apply it topically.
How to Use Internally
Ingredients
- 2 of apple cider vinegar
- 1 glass of water
- 1 of honey (optional)
Directions
Stir in the vinegar into the water, and add honey if you prefer a sweeter taste. Mix well until well blended, and drink three times a day with your meals. This solution will relieve your gout pain in an instant.
How to Use Topically
Pour some organic apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle, and spray the affected area. Then, gently massage it and go to bed. Practice this before bedtime as gout attacks usually occur during nighttime.
2nd Method – Cherries
More researchers became interested in the cherries’ effects on the treatment of gout.
Arthritis & Rheumatology has published a 2012 study that involved 633 patients with gout. They consumed cherry and cherry extract for two days, and the results showed a 35% reduced risk of gout attack.
This fruit contains high amounts of anthocyanins which provide potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
In 2014, the Journal of Functional Foods published Medical News Today which showed that Montmorency tart cherry concentrate successfully lowers inflammation and uric acid levels in the body.
Regardless of the type of cherries (Medical News Today, Montmorency, Rainer, etc.) and the form used (raw, juice, or extract), they all show positive results in relieving gout pain and preventing gout attacks. What’s more, they are delicious.
Fresh Cherry Juice
You need 20-30 cherries to extract the juice. Drink this juice once daily. As an alternative, you can consume half a tablespoon of cherry extract.
3rd Method – Baking Soda
The alkalizing property of baking soda helps lower the acidic environment in the body, thus reducing the formation of uric acid crystals and their buildup in the joints.
Water and baking soda solution might not sound too tasty, but it’s highly beneficial in reducing gout pain.
Ingredients
- 2 of baking soda
- A glass of water
Directions
Add the baking soda to the water, and mix well. Drink three times a day. To prevent the baking soda settles at the bottom of the glass, stir it occasionally.
4th Method – Celery Seeds
The high amount of Omega-6 fatty acids in celery seeds helps your digestive system excrete uric acid more efficiently, and your kidneys eliminate it through the urine. What’s more, they provide anti-inflammatory properties which help reduce the swelling and pain from gout.
Celery Seed Solution
Celery seeds are usually bitter, so you can combine ¼ teaspoon of them in foods while cooking or drink them as tea.
To prepare a celery seed solution, add half a teaspoon of seeds to a cup of water, and boil. Strain and consume the liquid 3 times daily.
Note – Those with kidney problems or pregnant women shouldn’t take celery seeds.
5th Method – Water
Staying hydrated is extremely important not only for those with gout but for anyone. Nevertheless, drinking enough water helps remove excess uric acid from the body, thus preventing uric acid crystals from building up in the joints.
Try to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to prevent your body becomes dehydrated.
6th Method – Ginger
Thanks to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, ginger helps relieve the pain and swelling from gout.
Ingredients
- 2-inch piece of ginger
- 1 cup of water
Directions
Pour the water into a pot with a glass lid, and add the ginger cut into slices. Bring to a boil, remove the lid, and allow the ginger slices to brew a little. After that, strain the mixture and pour the ginger-infused water into a cup. Drink one cup a day to prevent and treat gout attacks.
Another option is to add some ginger to another tea.
7th Method – Lemon
The vitamin C content in lemon helps prevent and treat gout. Even though this fruit is acidic in nature, once fully metabolized it turns alkaline. These alkaline properties of lemon stimulate the production of calcium carbonate which prevents the formation of uric acid crystals by neutralizing the acids in the body.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 glass of water
Directions
Squeeze the juice of the lemon and add it to the water. Stir well and drink 3 times a day.
Drinking lemon juice on a daily basis helps treat and prevent gout, as well as keeps your body hydrated throughout the day.
Additional Tips
- Limit your alcohol consumption to prevent dehydration and uric acid build-up in your joints. When you do drink, make sure you also take plenty of water to help the alcohol dilute properly in your body.
- Reduce your intake of sugar
- Avoid consuming meat in large amounts, especially beef, lamb, and pork. This is due to the presence of purines in meat which increase the levels of uric acid in your body, leading to gout attacks.
- Relieve stress, relax, and rest, since stress can worsen the pain from gout.
- Regular exercise is recommended for anyone, including those with gout.
Via Healthline | Mayo Clinic | Healthline
Image Source Healthline