Best Home Treatment For Gout Attack : Best Natural Gout Treatment
Gout is a type of arthritis that causes the painful conditions of joints. It results from the saturation of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a byproduct of the breakdown of a waste substance called purines.
Generally, it dissolves in the blood and gets excreted through urine. But, in some people, there is an increased level of uric acid in the blood that it becomes difficult for the kidneys to eliminate through urine.
Due to the excessive amounts of uric acid, it crystallizes and accumulates within the joint spaces, leading to gout. It is characterized by intense joint pain especially in the large joint of the big toe as well as in feet, knees, ankles, hands, and wrists, lingering discomfort and redness and inflammation of joints.
Hepatic Impairment And Gi Bleeding
Patients with cirrhosis should avoid NSAID use due to the potential increased bleeding risk from underlying coagulopathy. Additionally, colchicine clearance may be reduced in patients with severe liver impairment, mandating close surveillance when this agent is used. If hepatic impairment is mild to moderate, judicious use of any of the first-line therapies may be appropriate.
Patients with GI bleeding or a history of peptic ulcer disease should avoid NSAID use because of increased bleeding risk. If an NSAID is used, proton pump inhibitors decrease the risk of NSAID-associated mucosal damage.
Drink Stinging Nettle Tea
Stinging nettle is a popular herbal remedy that may help reduce inflammation. There is no evidence to confirm its benefits for treating gout attacks, but there is likely no harm in trying it. The herb is high in minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
You can make nettle tea by steeping one to two teaspoons of dried nettle in a cup of water, having up to three servings per day.
However, those taking prescription medicines for diabetes and heart conditions should be advised that it can interfere with their effectiveness.
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Take An Epsom Salt Bath
Epsom salt is used regularly by those who suffer from arthritis and gout. The Epsom salt breaks down into magnesium and sulfate when mixed with water, both of which can help relax muscles and reduce joint inflammation.
Directions: Dissolve 12 tablespoons of Epsom salt in your bath water and soak in it for 1530 minutes to soothe the aches and pains associated with gout and other forms of arthritis.
How Is Gout In The Ankle Diagnosed
If you think you might have gout but havent been diagnosed, try to see a doctor while youre having symptoms. Gout is easier to diagnose when youre in the middle of a flare-up thats causing swelling, redness, and other visible symptoms.
During your appointment, your doctor will likely ask you several questions about your diet, any medications you take, and whether you have a family history of gout. This can help to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms, including an infection or rheumatoid arthritis.
Your doctor may also order a blood test to check your uric acid levels. But some people have high levels of uric acid and dont develop gout. Others have typical uric acid levels but still develop gout. As a result, theyll want to do some other tests as well.
An X-ray, MRI, or CT scan of your ankle can also help to eliminate other possible causes of joint inflammation. Depending on your exam, they may also order an ultrasound to check for the presence of crystals in your ankle.
Finally, they might do a joint fluid test. This involves taking a small sample of joint fluid from your ankle with a small needle and looking at it under a microscope for any uric acid crystals.
Based on the results of your exam and tests, they may refer you to an inflammatory arthritis specialist called a rheumatologist for treatment.
Theres no cure for gout, but a combination of medications and home treatments can help to manage ankle pain and reduce the number of flare-ups you have.
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What Are The Causes And Triggers Of Gout In The Ankle
The buildup of uric acid in the body is known as hyperuricemia. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines. These are compounds found in all your cells. You can also find purines in several types of food, especially red meat and some seafood, as well as alcohol and some sugar-sweetened drinks.
Usually, uric acid passes through your kidneys, which help to eliminate extra uric acid in your urine. But sometimes theres too much uric acid for your kidneys to handle. In other cases, the kidneys cant process a typical amount of uric acid due to an underlying condition.
As a result, more uric acid circulates throughout your body, ending up in your ankle as uric acid crystals.
4 percent of adults in the United States. It tends to be more common in men because women usually have lower levels of uric acid. But after menopause, women start to have higher uric acid levels. As a result, women tend to develop gout at an older age than men do.
Experts arent sure why some people produce more uric acid or have trouble processing it. But theres evidence that the condition is often genetic.
Other things that may increase your risk of developing gout include:
- consuming a lot of high-purine foods
- consuming foods and drinks, especially alcohol, that increase uric acid production
- being overweight
Ways To Deal With Painful Gout Attacks
Its difficult to focus on work or other daily activities when youre experiencing gout inflammation and pain. Symptoms can last for a few days or even weeks, with the worst pain usually occurring in the first day or two.
While the best thing to do is talk to your physician, there are several steps you can take right away ease your gout symptoms:
Excess uric acid in the bloodstream can lead to the formation of uric acid crystals in one or more joints, resulting in gout.Read:All About Gout – Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
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Colchicum: For Acute Gout And Synovitis Of Small Joints
This is a wonderful remedy for acute gout as well as for muscular tissues, periosteum, and synovial membrane of joints, especially small joints.
Red, hot swelling, tearing pain of great toe that aggravates in evening and night. Acute exacerbation of gout is associated with great weakness, internal coldness, and a tendency to collapse.
Rheumatic pains present in the shoulder, wrist, hand, fingers, knee, ankle, and toes region with numbness. A patient complains of severe arthritis pain, such as screams with pain on touch.
Dose and Potency:
Useful in 30, 6x and mother tincture. 5 drops or 4 globules 3 times per day for severe pain.
Make A Turmeric Drink
Turmeric is an ancient spice that’s not just used in cooking but Ayurvedic medicine as well. Its history dates back to 4,000 years. If people have been using this spice for this long, there has to be something to it, right? For gout, there is.
Turmeric has been proven to inhibit the process that causes uric acid. It also eases pain from gout flares since it contains an active compound called curcumin, which can act as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and antitumor agent.
You can consume turmeric as tea, milk, spice, topping, or even food coloring. Whatever you do, you want to add black pepper in the mix because this can help your body absorb the curcumin better.
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How To Prevent Gout
Some things that increase the risk of gout are out of your control your age, gender and family history for example.
However, your body weight and diet are also important factors.
The rise in gout in recent years is linked to our widening waistlines.
Being overweight, eating fatty foods and consuming too much alcohol are established triggers of flares of gout.
And although losing weight and avoiding certain foods may not be the magic answer to how to get rid of gout, it may help to reduce the likelihood of a future attack.
Causes Of Gout In Thumb
The major cause of gout is the accumulation of uric acid in the bloodstream due to its excessively increased levels. Purine is the naturally occurring substance in the body. The foods that we ingest through our daily diet also contain more or less amount of purines.
After the food is digested, purines break down to form uric acid. It is, in the normal process, carried through the bloodstream to the kidneys, where it is processed and excreted through urine.
But, in conditions like gouty arthritis, there is an extreme rise in uric acid levels in the blood, tissues, and synovial fluid. This may be due to excess production of uric acid resulting from the intake of a purine-rich diet or insufficient elimination of uric acid by the kidneys due to impaired renal function.
Uric acid accumulates in the blood, causing the formation of urate crystals. These crystals form deposition in the joints and in the space surrounding the joints, resulting in pain and inflammation in the joints.
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How Long Does Gout In The Ankle Last
Gout flare-ups can last for several hours at a time, but you may feel pain in your ankle for days or weeks. Some people only have one flare-up in their life, while others have them several times a year.
Keep in mind that gout is a chronic condition, meaning it lasts for a long time and requires ongoing management. Dietary changes and medications can make a big difference, but youll also be at risk of having a flare-up.
Keep in mind that it can also take some time to find the right combination of diet changes and medication that works for you. Dont be discouraged if things dont seem to be improving right away.
Using Epsom Salt While Taking A Bath
Epsom salt has been used as an alternative medicine for decades. It is mandatory to remember that you must not drink or consume epsom salt in any form. The only way to use it is to add 1-2 cups to warm water while taking a bath. Apparently, it will be absorbed by the skin and directly affect the inflammation thanks to high levels of magnesium. If you consume plenty of foods rich in magnesium, there is no need to use both of these remedies. But, if you want soft skin, you may want to try epsom salt.
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Can Home Remedies Help Gout
Last reviewed: Medically reviewed
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Gout is a painful and debilitating condition that causes joint pain, swelling and stiffness.
It develops when uric acid builds up in the blood, eventually forming crystals in and around your joints. These crystals can cause swelling and inflammation, known as a gout flare or attack, which normally last for 5 to 7 days although it can last longer.
It’s normal to have a small amount of uric acid in the blood as its a natural waste product released when your body breaks down a type of protein called purines. Purines are found in your cells and in foods like red meat, seafood and offal.
But if your body is producing too much uric acid for your body to handle, this can lead to gout.
Celery Or Celery Seeds
Celery is a food traditionally used to treat urinary issues. For gout, extract and seeds of the vegetable have become popular home remedies.
Experimental use is well-documented, though scientific research is scant. Its thought that celery may reduce inflammation.
Adequate celery amounts for treating gout arent documented. Try eating celery many times per day, especially raw celery sticks, juice, extract, or seeds.
If purchasing an extract or supplement, follow label directions closely.
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Try To Decrease Stress
A life without stress is impossible these days. There is no single method to avoid it unless you live in the wild. A natural treatment for gout can be to use methods that decrease stress. The best examples are exercising, yoga, meditation, reading, and anything that makes you happy.
But why stress affects gout? Stress decreases the production of pantothenic acid. When this acid is low, the uric acid level will be high and we all know what that means! Try to find a way to decrease stress at all cost.
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Symptoms Of Gout In Thumb
Gout in the thumb is a very painful condition. Gout attacks in the thumb usually last longer than in other joints. The symptoms like intense pain start suddenly and localized to the thumb.
The intensity varies among individuals, but it is generally sharp and throbbing. The joint of thumb becomes very tender. Although the pain reduces within 12 hours, it may last for weeks.
The sufferer experiences localized swelling that occurs around the joints or at the top of the thumb. The skin of the thumb becomes shiny and taut. Swelling may arise due to the formation of tophi under the skin. Tophi are formed by the deposition of urate crystals around the joints. This may take several years to form tophi. It may also result in stiffness in the joints.
Inflammation is another prominent symptom of gout in the thumb. The patient may experience redness and the warm feeling in the joints accompanied by a slight fever.
The medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroid injections in the joints are recommended to alleviate inflammation. The symptoms of thumb gout are more commonly seen in the chronic gout sufferers. Therefore, it takes a longer period to control the frequency and intensity of gout attacks.
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Increase Your Fluid Intake
You must consume ample amounts of fluids daily to dilute uric acid and facilitate its excretion through more urine output. Water is your best bet, but you can also supplement your fluid needs through healthy juices and succulent fruits or vegetables.
Avoid alcohol and sweetened beverages such as sodas, which can dehydrate the body due to their strong diuretic effect.
What If I Dont Have Any Of These
If you have a gout attack, but you dont have any of these remedies ready nearby, dont fret just yet. There are still a few things you can do to manage the pain.
First, make sure the joint is rested until the pain subsides. Avoid touching it as even a light touch can cause excruciating pain. However, if you need to walk, use a cane to minimize the pressure on the affected joint. Then, to lessen the inflammation, apply cold compress on the affected joint.
Drinking lots of water as this helps to flush the excess uric acid. Drinking water also helps prevent future gout attacks. A study found that those who drink more than eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day experience a 48% reduction in gout attacks.
Youll also want to keep an eye out on foods that trigger gout. The last thing you want is for it to come back right after you just had an attack.
Once youre already able to visit a doctor, follow their prescribed medication. They may run some blood tests and suggest a therapy to lower your uric acid levels. If the pain persists after 48 hours, your doctor may recommend a different treatment.
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Practice Mindfulness And Meditation
The good news: A gout attack is self-limited and will clear in time. In the meantime, according to the Arthritis Foundation, meditation, yoga breathing, mindfulness, and guided imagery can help you deal with the pain.
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Benzoic Acid: For Gout Rheumatic Arthritis With Urinary Symptoms
This remedy is indicated for gout, and rheumatism associated with urinary symptoms.
It is useful for acute gout cases: Redness and swelling of the big toe aggravate at night.
It acts on rheumatism and osteoarthritis of the knee and tendo-Achilles.
Dose and Potency:
Useful in lower potency like 3x, 6x and 30 3 times per day for 3-4 days.
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Chronic Arthritis Clinical Diagnosis:
Osteoarthritis:
Pain and functional restriction of hip and knee joints. The onset of pain is slow. Pain aggravates by motion and rest relieves pain. Muscle weakness and wasting of muscles are associated symptoms. The patient is above 45 years old and has asymmetric walking.
Tenderness with pressure, muscular pain around the joint, crepitus noise in the joint during movements, restricted movements of the joint, and bone swelling around an affected joint are associated symptoms of osteoarthritis.
X-ray shows the severity of structural changes. ESR and CRP are normal in osteoarthritis cases.
Synovial fluid from osteoarthritic knee joints is viscous and turbid with CPPD and calcium phosphate depositions.
Rheumatic arthritis:
Pain, swelling, and stiffness of small joints of hands and feet, aggravated in the morning. Arthritis of 3 or more joints. Symmetrical hand arthritis. Duration of symptoms persists for more than 6 weeks.
Blood tests, serological tests, and x-rays are more helpful to confirm the diagnosis.
ESR and CRP are raised along with increased anti-CCP antibody and RA factor.
X-ray shows periarticular osteoporosis after 6 months of onset. For early detection of bone erosions, MRI and Dopplers ultrasounds are helpful.
Gout:
Pain and swelling of distal joint specifically great toe with red shiny skin.
For clear diagnosis identification of MSU crystals in aspiration fluid of joint, bursa, or tophus is required.