Coping with the Symptoms of an Acute Gout Flare-Up
Gout flares usually last a few days or weeks, and patients can use ice, pain relievers, and a healthy diet to reduce the frequency of attacks.
Gout is a common form of arthritis. The accumulation of uric crystals in the joints causes pain in one or more joints. Patients often suffer from sudden and severe pain in the joints of the toes, fingers, knees, even unable to walk due to the pain. The toe joint is the most commonly affected site. The pain of gout attacks can cause sleepless nights, sharp pain, swelling, redness, and heat around the affected joint area.
Acute gout attacks often appear suddenly, without warning, causing pain and swelling in the joints, making it difficult to move normally. Factors that trigger acute gout attacks can be due to eating a lot of protein, drinking alcohol and eating foods high in sugar.
Gout flares can last several days or weeks. The condition may resolve on its own, but treatments will help resolve symptoms more quickly, with less destruction of tissue in the joint space.
Patients experience frequent episodes of gouty arthritis that can lead to chronic gout and permanent joint damage. Small, white lumps caused by urate crystals to form can cause pain under the skin.
Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can help improve acute pain. People with gout should keep this medicine at home for use when needed. Medicines can be used as soon as pain symptoms begin to appear.
Anti-inflammatory drugs will take effect within 3 days. During this period, the patient is advised to rest and elevate the painful foot, keep the joint cool by applying ice for up to 20 minutes, drink plenty of water, drink supportive milk such as Golden Gout. At night, do not let sleepwear touch the joints to avoid irritation. After 3 days if the pain does not go away, the doctor may prescribe steroids in the form of tablets or injections.
The gout diet is mostly a healthy, low-purine diet. When purines are digested, the body produces uric acid. Uric acid crystals accumulate in the joints for a long time, causing gout. Maintaining a healthy weight is important because being overweight increases the likelihood of an acute gout attack and increases the intensity of pain, making it harder to control.
Some foods that are recommended to control uric acid levels and reduce the risk of gout attacks include: fruits, vegetables and whole grains that provide complex carbohydrates, water, low-fat dairy products or fat-free, coffee, foods rich in vitamin C. Patients should limit their intake of white bread, junk food, sugary drinks, red meat, poultry, animal organs, some seafood such as: herring, bait fish, salmon, mackerel, and at the same time abstain from alcohol.
