Gout

Gout is inflammation of the joints that occurs along with the recurrent swellings. This problem occurs due to the presence of intracellular monosodium urate crystals in the joints. Gout is a chronic disease, but some times the patient may suffer from acute attacks. In case of deposition of the crystals of calcium pyrophosphate and not urates, the patient suffers from pseudogout and not real gout. Pseudogout is the more common occurrence and affects the large joints, particularly the knee.

Gout is an ancient disease known to ancient Greeks and Romans. Sydneham has described Gout in his article which he wrote in 1963. He himself suffered from this disease. He differentiated it from other joint disorders. In the 18th century, it was found that eating large, enjoyable meals, combined with the consumption of alcoholic drinks were precursor to an attack of gout. Men the age of 40-50 years have higher risk of Gout, but women need not worry till they reach menopause. Generally 10% percent of sufferers experience their first attack after the age of 60.

Symptoms of Gout:

• Acute pain in the big toe, which becomes tender, hot and swollen in short time.
• Affected toe is unable to bear any weight.
• Inflammation of other joints such as knees and wrists with more than one joint being affected.
• Attack usually occurs at midnight or in the early morning hours with you being awakened suddenly and the attack lasting for a week. Patient might experience the attack after several weeks or months.
• Slight fever with disinclination to eat.
• If left untreated, patient might experience attack frequently with the joint being damaged by arthritis, resulting in chronic gout, in which the chalky lumps of uric acid crystals being present in the joint and are formed under the skin.
• Kidney stones containing uric acid resulting in severe colic pains in the stomach. At times the kidneys can become damaged and cease to function properly. This condition becomes serious because the waste products that are usually removed by kidneys remain in the blood.

Causes of Gout:

• Presence of uric acid crystals in joints, skin and kidneys. Uric acid is the end result of the body’s chemical processes. Gout patients have higher presence of uric acid crystal than normal; this is either due to the formation of increased or decreased amount of acid in urine, excreted by the kidneys. Usually, uric acid remains dissolved in the blood. But when the blood becomes concentrated with uric acid, uric acid forms needle-shaped crystals in the joints giving rise to gout. I case of pseudogout, there is a formation of the crystals of calcium pyrophosphate in the joints.
• Heredity, since some races are more prone to gout.
• Excessive intake of alcoholic drinks
• Foods rich in protein and carbohydrate
• Lack of proper exercise
• Stress. It leads to the destruction of large number of body cells, resulting in freeing up of large quantities of uric acid, which enters the tissues after being neutralized by sodium.
• Any underlying disease resulting in increased cellular turnover.
• Intake of some drugs like thiazide diuretics used for treatment of hypertension and heart failure.

Natural Cure for Gout :

Fasting is the best way to cure gout. Go on a fast of orange juice and water for 5 to 7 days. Condition may get worse in the beginning of the fast due to the uric acid being released in the blood stream for elimination. This happens because the juices dissolve the uric acid. Situation improves later on. If the condition is acute, take a series of short fasts for three days or so, rather than a long one. Take warm water enema daily during this period to cleanse the bowels.

Once the symptoms subside, go on an all-fruit diet for next three or four days. Eat three meals a day consisting of fresh, juicy fruits like apple, pear, peaches, orange and pineapple. After this course start a well balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits, with a great stress on fresh fruits and raw vegetables.

Avoid all purine and uric acid producing foods like meats, eggs and fish, glandular meats. Avoid sugar, white flour, canned and processed foods and all intoxicating beverages like liquors, tea and coffee. Consume less spices and salt.

Ludwig Blan, gout patient, discovered 45 years ago that cherry, sweet or sour, cured gout effectively. He used cherries in his own case to treat gout and published the results in a medical journal. Start with 15 to 25 cherries a day and then reduce to about 10 cherries a day to control the ailment. Use fresh cherries; however canned cherries will also suffice.

Potassium rich edible things like potatoes, bananas, green leafy vegetables, beans and raw vegetable juices are beneficial. Carrot juice combined with the beet juice and cucumber juice is also an effective remedy. French or string beans juice is also beneficial. Take 150 ml of this juice is recommended. Raw potato juice as well as fresh pineapple juice can also be taken.

Overweight patients must bring down their weight by following a strict diet plan. Drink nonalcoholic drinks to reduce the risk of stones in the urinary tract. Drink at least eight glasses of cold or hot water daily.
Bathe your feet daily in Epsom salt twice a day. Add ¼ to ½ kg of salt to the foot bath of hot water. You can take full Epsom salt baths three times a week. As the condition improves, reduce the bath to twice a week. Apply cold packs at night to the affected joints. Take plenty of fresh air and outdoor exercises. Eliminate as much stress as possible.