Gout - Things to know about it

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation, usually in one joint, that begins suddenly.

Gouty arthritis is caused by the deposition of crystals of uric acid in a joint.

Gout can cause symptoms and signs such as

 Nodules under the skin called tophi,

•  Joint redness,
•  Swollen joints,
•  Joint pain,
•  The warmth of the joint.

The most reliable method to diagnose gout is to have fluid removed from an inflamed joint and examined under a microscope for uric acid crystals.

The primary dietary goal for gout is to limit your intake of foods with high amounts of purine in them. Ideally, you will have little or no foods that are high in purine and only small amounts of those with moderate amounts of purine.

Foods considered high in purine content include:

• Some fish, seafood and shellfish, including anchovies, sardines, mackerel, scallops, herring, mussels, codfish, trout, and haddock
• Some meats such as bacon, turkey, veal, venison, liver, beef kidney, brain, and sweetbreads
• Alcoholic beverages

Foods considered moderate in purine content include:

• Meats such as beef, veal, poultry, pork, and lamb
• Crab, lobster, oysters, and shrimp
• Vegetables such as asparagus, spinach, green peas, mushrooms, and cauliflower
• Kidney beans, lentils, and lima beans

Your other goals will be to:

• Lose weight if you are overweight: make sure that you do this slowly because fast weight loss will actually increase the uric acid levels in your blood.
• Drink plenty of fluids: this can help with removing uric acid from your blood. Be sure to limit fluids with caffeine and/or calories; water and seltzer are the best choices.
• Increase your low-fat dairy intake: there has been some research that has shown that those who drink low-fat milk or consume low-fat yogurt have lower uric acid levels than those who do not.
• Keep your fruit and vegetable intake up: you may get a reduction in your uric acid levels by having fruit, such as cherries, and vegetables (those that are not sources of purine), as part of your diet.
• Chronic gout is treated using medications that lower the uric acid level in the body.
• Left untreated, gout can cause irreversible joint damage, kidney problems, and tophi.
• Triggers for gout attacks include surgery, dehydration, beverages sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup, beer, liquor, red meat, and seafood.
• Cherries may help prevent gout attacks.