Are Your Kidney Stones Due To Gout Or Something Else
According to the American Urological Foundation, kidney stones can cause severe and sharp pain, specifically in the back and abdomen, as well as while urinating. They could also cause nausea, vomiting, blood in urine, or frequent urination.
These symptoms could point to any of the four types of kidney stones, which are classified based on what they are made of:
- Calcium
Pseudogout: Understanding Your Prognosis And Changes To Your Diet
Pseudogout: Understanding Your Prognosis and Changes to Your Diet
Youve probably heard the term gout, an ailment characterized by a sudden onset of pain, usually in the big toe, brought on by an accumulation of urate crystals in joints. But gout is not to be confused with pseudogout , which literally means false gout. The two conditions are similar in that they are both considered types of arthritis caused by crystal deposits in the joints. However, there are marked differences between the two. To understand more about the pseudogout diagnosis, it is important to take a look at what could have triggered the condition and whether or not diet is a contributing factor or cure.
Triggers of Pseudogout and Risk Factors
Older adults who may feel a sudden pain associated with swelling in the knee or wrist may have a condition called pseudogout. Also referred to as CPPD, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, pseudogout is a form of arthritis that may come on suddenly and last for days or weeks. This is typically a condition presenting in adults over 60 years old because deposits of calcium pyrophosphate crystals form over time and increase as we age.
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Symptoms
Pseudogout most commonly affects the knees, and in some cases, patients may experience pain in the wrists and ankles. The affected joints are usually swollen, warm and painful.
Is Pseudogout Serious?
Treatment
Will Eating Nuts Cause Gout
Gout causes severe pain and swelling around the joints, and while many factors contribute to gout, certain foods can make it worse.
Grain liquors, red meat, organ meats, seafood, especially shrimp and lobster, can trigger gout. But should you worry about nuts causing gout?
Eating nuts will not cause gout because they contain low levels of purine, an organic substance found naturally in the body and in certain foods such as red meat and seafood.
If purine becomes uric acid and accumulates around your joints, it can cause gout.
Read on to learn more about the properties of nuts and their side effects on inflammation, allergy, and kidneys.
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Can Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Be Prevented
Unlike gout, there is no treatment or diet that can prevent the formation of CPP crystals. If an underlying condition caused an episode of pseudogout or low magnesium levels), treating this may prevent further attacks.
Like osteoarthritis, the damage from chronic CPP crystal arthritis can be limited by keeping your weight normal and getting a moderate amount of exercise.
Can Collagen Peptides Cause Joint Pain
Yes. , a collagen-based substance, is used to treat arthritis. It is also used in the treatment of osteoarthritis, and is a component of many other products. The collagen in collagen products is not the same as the collagen found in human skin. In fact, the amount of collagen present in skin is much lower than in muscle. This is because the skin contains less collagen than the muscle tissue. However, collagen is still present, which is why it is called skin collagen. The amount and type of skin collagen that is present varies greatly from person to person. For example, some people have very little skin, while others have a lot. Some people may have more skin than others. Skin collagen may be present as a result of a combination of factors, including genetics, diet, exercise, medications, or other factors. If you have any concerns about your skins ability to absorb collagen, talk to your doctor.
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Why Salt Must Be Kept Away From A Gout Diet
There was one study which was conducted in 2012. I know that scientist discovered that salt affects the uric acid levels. Furthermore, those with kidney damage are more likely to have elements of albumin in their urine. This is actually the first sign of kidney failure and it means that it is the time for concern. The same study also discovered that salt directly affects uric acid levels, due to the fact our body cannot eliminate it from the body, so the salt will bind the certain chemicals and literally cause crystals in the bones and joints.
When it comes to a table salt, it has been designed into tricking you to believe you are in taking minerals. But, when you realize that there is nothing healthy about table salt your craving will be even worse, making you want more table salt. This is possible due to the additives in the table salt which are added to cause addiction, another thing you must avoid at all cost.
Joint Aspiration And Injection
Your doctor may use a needle and syringe to take fluid out of your joint.
This is called aspiration, and it can quickly reduce the high pressure in the joint which is causing pain. They will numb the area with an injection first so it isnt painful.
This procedure is fairly simple and quick, and it usually brings fast relief.
Usually, once the excess fluid has been drawn out, your doctor will inject a small amount of a long-acting steroid back into the joint through the same needle. This helps to reduce inflammation in the lining of your joint and prevent the build-up of more fluid.
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Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease
Definition
Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease is a crystal deposition disease in the joints and soft tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. The clinical presentation resembles gout in its acute attacks of crystal synovitis and, thus, was previously called pseudogout. Acute CPPD arthritis is now the preferred term for this disease.
If a radiographic joint examination shows calcification of cartilage, the syndrome is called chondrocalcinosis. Although CPPD crystal deposition and chondrocalcinosis are seen in acute CPPD arthritis, not all patients with either chondrocalcinosis or CPPD crystal deposition present with acute arthritis.
Prevalence and Epidemiology
Few studies have addressed the epidemiology of CPPD disease. It appears to affect about 1 per 1000 individuals and is much more common in those older than 65 years of age. A widely cited study that looked at age distribution of patients with CPPD disease by radiographic examination reported the prevalence to be 15% in those aged 65 to 74 years and higher than 40% after age 84.29 This disease is not commonly encountered in younger patients without a previous history of trauma or surgery. It has no definite ethnic or gender predilection.30
Genetic factors are believed to cause familial autosomal dominant CPPD chondrocalcinosis. Studies are investigating mutations of the ANKH gene and chondrocalcinosis but the role of gene mutations is not fully understood.
Pathophysiology
Clinical manifestations
What Tests Are There
There are several tests that can be carried out to help make a diagnosis of acute CPP crystal arthritis, including:
- testing your joint fluid for crystals and infection
- X-rays and ultrasound scans to show if there are any calcium crystals in the cartilage or excess fluid in the joint
- blood tests to look for:
- inflammation
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What Is Gout And What Causes It
Gout is just one type of arthritis, and it most often presents itself in a joint of one of your big toes. When it hits, it develops fast and usually comes back repeatedly. Every time you suffer a new attack, the tissues in your big toe, or wherever you experience the inflammation, deteriorates more and more. If you have cardiovascular issues, or high blood pressure, you are at an even higher risk of developing this condition obesity also increases this risk.
In chronic tophaceous gout, youll notice large lumps where a gout attack is occurring. These lumps are called tophi. These are clumps of urate crystals, which develop in areas where your body is cooler, such as your fingers and other extremities. If you havent received treatment for your symptoms , this is the type of gout you may experience.
Uric acid builds up in your body when purines are being broken down. Purines are chemical compounds commonly found in seafood, red meat, poultry, and alcohol . The levels of purines in these meats are high, making them more inflammatory than other foods. To prevent the development of gout or to control it post-diagnosis, you need to learn which foods are more inflammatory and which are less inflammatory.
What Is The Prognosis Of Pseudogout
The outlook of pseudogout is generally very good. Aggressive treatment of the inflammation can lead to complete resolution of the inflammation, pain, tenderness, and loss of joint function. While this can last for weeks, the inflammation of resolves within days with proper treatment.
Recurrent attacks of pseudogout and chronic joint inflammation can lead to injury to the affected cartilage and bone.
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How Can I Prevent Gout
If gout runs in your family, men in particular should limit alcohol, fats, and foods that are more likely to increase uric acid level in the body. Those include meat, sardines, bacon, mussels, and yeast. Beer, especially, can also bring on a gout attack. Drinking plenty of liquids may help minimize the risk of kidney stones. Your doctor can do blood and urine tests to figure out your potential risk of a gout attack. Itâs also a good idea for men who are at greater risk to keep an eye on their weight.
Medications can also help prevent gout attacks if you have them often. These drugs decrease the production of uric acid or increase the amount of uric acid you get rid of in urine. These medicines include allopurinol , colchicine , pegloticase , probenecid , and rasburicase .
If these medications arenât effective, your doctor may prescribe . If you have heart issues, be very cautious taking febuxostat.
Causes Of Gout Flares
Individual gout flares are often triggered by acute increases or decreases in urate levels that may lead to the production, exposure, or shedding of crystals. Changes in urate levels can result from acute alcohol ingestion, acute overindulgence in foods high in purines, rapid weight loss, dehydration, or trauma.
Similarly, flares can be precipitated by additions of or changes in dosage of medications that raise or lower uric acid levels. Medications that increase uric acid levels via effects on renal tubular transport include the following :
- Loop and thiazide diuretics
Agents that lower levels of uric acid include the following:
- Radiocontrast dyes
- Xanthine oxidase inhibitors
- Uricosurics
Vaccination has been associated with increased risk of gout flares. Elevated risk has been reported with recombinant zoster vaccine and other vaccines, but not influenza vaccine.
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Consequences Of Too Much Calcium
Are you getting too much calcium? Great importance is placed on this by the media. We are told over and over that we need more calcium for our bones and to prevent osteoporosis. But we are not told the facts about calcium supplements, or that calcium is only part of the picture and one of many minerals and vitamins that the body needs. If you take calcium supplements alone, or if you don’t have what’s needed to absorb the calcium, this excess calcium leads to elevated blood calcium.
The body can not absorb more than 500 milligrams of calcium at once so if you take supplements it is important to spread your calcium consumption over the day.
When taking a calcium supplement ensure that it is easily absorbed. One test to see if it dissolves easily is to place it in a glass of apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar mimics the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. If your calcium supplement is not completely dissolved after half an hour you can be sure it is not dissolving in your stomach.
Other factors that contribute to calcium absorption:
- Having what is needed to transport and absorb the calcium, such as vitamin D, magnesium, silicon, protein
- Inability to absorb the calcium due to excess acidity in the body,
- Weak kidneys
- Parathyroid problems
How Frequent Are Attacks Of Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Crystal Deposition Disease
Deposits of CPPD crystals occur over a long period of time. Like gout, CPPD attacks can recur from time to time in the same joint or different joints. The initial attack may last a week to two weeks unless it’s treated.
Over time, CPPD attacks may occur more often, involve more joints, have more severe symptoms and last longer. Frequency of attacks varies. Attacks may occur from once every few weeks to less than once a year. However, frequent, repeated attacks can damage the joints.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/16/2020.
References
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Why Do Nuts Cause Inflammation
Some nuts cause inflammation if you are allergic to them.
Tree nuts such as peanuts, almonds, and walnuts are common allergen foods. Other symptoms of nut allergies include itchy eyes, indigestion, and difficult breathing.
In severe cases, dizziness and a drop in blood pressure can occur.
These particular nuts have high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, so your immune system produces an antibody when you eat them. The antibody attaches itself to white blood cells and releases a chemical called histamine, causing your blood vessels to swell.
Depending on the situation, inflammation can be good or bad, as its a defensive response by the immune system to help the body repair an infected tissue.
But chronic inflammation can pose a negative effect on your body, damaging your healthy cells, DNA, and tissues, which can be triggered by what you eat.
Peanuts are the most common allergy-producing nuts.
Even if youre not allergic, consume them in moderation or replace them with other raw and unsalted nuts, as they contain aflatoxins, which are poisonous compounds produced by two types of mold.
These toxins can cause cancer and increase inflammation.
If you think you have a nut allergy, contact your doctor, as they can perform different tests to determine if you have an allergy.
A skin prick test is the most common option, where lab staff put a small amount of that particular substance onto your forearm.
Why Do Nuts Have Saturated Fat
Brazil nuts, cashews, and macadamia are the only nuts with saturated fats, but since the amount is negligible, they can be a good substitute for calorie-rich foods if you control the portion sizes.
Saturated fat can heighten your bad cholesterol and lead to heart problems if you consume too much, which is mostly in butter, fatty cheese, and meats.
Other nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, which is a kind of healthy fat you can find in foods such as avocados, olive oil, and seeds.
Unsaturated fats include polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats .
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Symptoms Overlap With Other Conditions
About 25 percentof people with CPP deposits develop pseudogout symptoms. Both pseudogout and gout can appear suddenly, causing hot, red/purple, or swollen joints that are painful to move sometimes these symptoms can resolve spontaneously. Pseudogout usually lasts anywhere from several days to two weeks and may be accompanied by fever.
About 5 percent of patients develop symptoms that more closely resemble rheumatoid arthritis, while approximately 50 percent of patients with pseudogout develop symptoms that mimic osteoarthritis.
How Does Gout Cause Kidney Stones
People with gout could be at a higher risk of developing uric acid kidney stones because they have a higher level of uric acid being excreted by the kidneys, and they have more acidic urine, which makes the uric acid more likely to form stones, according to Michael Toprover, MD, a rheumatologist at NYU Langone Health.
When gout treatment does not reduce levels uric acid enough , several complications can develop, including uric acid kidney stones, according to the American Kidney Fund.
Other lifestyle factors may also contribute to the risk of developing kidney stones, including a higher intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and being overweight, according to Dr. Toprover says.
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Too Much Calcium Can Be A Problem
Many people take calcium supplements, mainly because of concerns with bone deterioration and osteoporosis. Our bones are made from calcium and so logic dictates that if we are losing bone mass, we must need more calcium. The truth is that most people need magnesium supplements like Natural Calm Magnesium before they need calcium supplements.
Too much calcium, especially due to calcium supplements, can cause major health problems including arthritis, gout, bone spurs, and kidney stones. As we will see, magnesium supplements like Natural Calm Magnesium can help deal with the excess calcium.
While our bodies need calcium to create bone mass, it also needs other ingredients with the top two being magnesium and vitamin D3. Our bones are two parts calcium and one part magnesium. Once your body has the calcium and magnesium it needs, the vitamin D3 then directs the body as to where to place the calcium and magnesium.
All magnesium supplements are not equal and if your magnesium supplement consists of a form called magnesium oxide, very little will be absorbed. Natural Calm Magnesium is a pH balanced magnesium citrate, in an ionic form that is highly absorbable to the body because it is a slightly acidic liquid. All minerals need to be in an acidic state to be absorbed by the body. Tablets and powders rely on the stomach acids and typically only absorb 30% of the magnesium. Natural Calm Magnesium is typically 80% absorbable when taken on an empty stomach.