What Can You Do For Gout At Home

What Happens At Your Appointment

The GP may ask about your diet and if you drink alcohol.

They may refer you to see a specialist and arrange a blood test and scan. Sometimes a thin needle is used to take a sample of fluid from inside the affected joint, to test it.

The blood test will find out how much of a chemical called uric acid there is in your blood.

Having too much uric acid in your blood can lead to crystals forming around your joints, which causes pain.

Drink Plenty Of Water

The level of uric acid in your blood is higher when youre dehydrated, so its important to try and drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

This helps to flush out any excess uric acid, and reduce the risk of crystals forming in your joints. It also helps to keep your kidneys healthy, which is important because your kidneys are responsible for removing uric acid from your system.

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

Don’t Miss: Almond Milk Gout

Pain Relief Without Medicine

Use cold. If your pain isn’t too bad, try cold packs or compresses on the joint to lower inflammation and soothe the ache. Wrap ice in a thin towel and apply it to the joint for up to 20 minutes several times a day. Do not apply ice to your hands or feet if you have nerve problems from diabetes or other causes.

Rest the joint. It’s a good idea to rest it until the pain eases up. You probably won’t want to move it much anyway. If you can, raise the joint on a pillow or other soft object.

Drink water. When your body doesnât have enough water, your uric acid levels rise even higher. Stay hydrated to help keep those levels normal.

Watch what you eat and drink. Foods that are high in substances called purines, such as some seafood, organ meats like liver, and fatty foods, can raise the uric acid in your blood even more. So can fructose-sweetened drinks and alcohol — especially beer.

Try Some Gentle Exercise

Physical exercise can also help you maintain a healthy weight, but its important to avoid activities that put strain on your joints. Some experts recommend swimming because the water will support your body weight and take some of the pressure off your joints.

If you dont enjoy swimming, you can also try cycling, walking or dancing. The important thing is to start slowly, and work your way up to doing at least 150 minutes of low-intensity exercise every week.

Don’t Miss: Are Almonds High In Purines

What Are The Symptoms Of Gout In The Ankle

The main symptom of gout in the ankle is pain and discomfort in the surrounding area. Keep in mind that gout is often unpredictable, regardless of the joint its affecting. You might go weeks or even months without any symptoms, only to wake up with a burning pain in your ankle.

In some cases, gout starts out in one of your big toes before moving on to other areas, such as your ankle. Over time, these flare-ups may last longer than they previously did.

Other symptoms you might feel from gout in your ankle include:

• tenderness

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.

Recommended Reading: Is Pickle Juice Good For Gout

Topical Cold Or Hot Application

Applying cold or hot water to inflamed joints may also be effective.

Studies and opinions on this are mixed. Soaking in cold water is most often recommended and considered most effective. Ice packs may also work.

Soaking in hot water is typically only recommended when inflammation isnt as intense.

Alternating hot and cold applications may also be helpful.

What Is Uric Acid

Uric acid is a waste byproduct of purine breakdown in the body. Purines are naturally produced in the body, as well as found in some foods. As purines are broken down, uric acid is created. Normally uric acid is either reabsorbed in the body or excreted via the urine and feces.

When there are more purines in the body than it can process, uric acid builds up in the bloodstream. This is called hyperuricemia. Hyperuricemia can cause gout and/or kidney stones in some people, while others have no signs or symptoms at all.

Verywell / Alexandra Gordon

Treatment for gout often includes medications, diet modification, and lifestyle changes, such as managing weight and quitting smoking. The foods you eat can have a direct impact on gout flares.

During a gout attack, modifying your diet may help decrease the length of the flare. Continuing to follow a gout-friendly diet, specifically a low-purine diet, may help prevent the risk of future gout attacks up to five fold.

Read Also: Allopurinol And Alcohol Interaction

What You Need To Avoid Consuming To Help Tame Gout

7) Alcohol and Gout Do Not Go Together

Okay, this can really suck, but unfortunately, alcohol can worsen the symptoms of gout by increasing the level of uric acid in your body. Beer, in particular, is high in purines, which the body breaks down into uric acid. If you suffer from gout, it is essential that you avoid beer, and other alcoholic beverages, which we know is especially hard during the holidays.

8) Seafood and Meat Are Healthy for Some, but Not if You Have Gout.

Consumption of seafood and meat puts you at greater risk of developing gout or contributes to its severity. Red meat reduces the excretion of uric acid by the kidneys, thus increasing its level in the body.

While seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acid, which is essential for a healthy heart, it also is high in purines. Individuals suffering from gout must avoid seafood. It can be replaced with soy and walnuts, which are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Not all seafood is necessarily a problem if eaten in moderation, though certain seafood should be avoided whenever possible.

Youll want to pass on meats such as liver, kidney, and sweetbreads, which are high in purines and contribute to increased blood levels of uric acid. Stay away from seafood that is high in purines such as anchovies, herring, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, haddock, mackerel, and tuna .

9) Alcohol and Seafood or Meat Together, a Double Whammy

If You Are Having Repeated Attacks See Your Doctor

Some patients can go a long time between attacks. In fact, for 62 percent of patients the next attack will be more than a year away, and some won’t have another attack in the next 10 years. However, if you begin to have more frequent attacks, talk to your doctor about escalating treatment. People think its normal to have flares every now and then, but its not. The gout can be doing damage to your joints. It means you still have too much uric acid, says Shakouri. In particular, ask about allpurinol. It wont help with an acute attack but will help prevent future attacks by reducing uric acid production.

Recommended Reading: Is Almond Milk Good For Gout

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.

Applying Ice To Affected Joints

Applying a cloth-covered ice pack to the joint can help reduce gout-related inflammation.

Try applying an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel for 1015 minutes at a time to help relieve pain.

If gout is affecting the feet, a person can also use a pack of frozen vegetables covered with a washcloth, as this may drape more easily over the feet.

Heightened stress can worsen a persons gout symptoms. While it is not always possible to eliminate all sources of stress, the following tips might help:

• exercising, such as taking a brief walk, if the pain does not limit movement
• asking for time off from work
• journaling or reading a favorite book
• listening to music

Read Also: Gout In Heel Pictures

Using Natural Remedies For Gout

• Using Natural Remedies for Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis characterized by sudden, intense pain, redness, heat, swelling, and tenderness in the joints. Gout usually affects the large joint of the big toe, but symptoms can occur in your feet, ankles, knees, hands, and wrists. Attacks typically last about five to 10 days. Gout is more common in men than in women.

Gout is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals, a waste product that’s formed from the breakdown of purinessubstances found naturally in the body and in foods such as organ meats, asparagus, anchovies, herring, and mushrooms.

So far, scientific support for the claim that any natural remedy can treat gout is limited.

Can It Lead To Any Complications

If left unmanaged, gout-related inflammation can cause permanent damage to your ankle joint, especially if you have frequent flare-ups.

Over time, lumps of uric acid crystals, called tophi, can also form around your ankle. These lumps arent painful, but they can cause additional swelling and tenderness during a flare-up.

Don’t Miss: Almond Milk And Gout

Whats The Outlook For People With Gout

Untreated gout can lead to permanent joint damage. The buildup of uric acid in the joints and soft tissue is called tophus. Some people with gout can also develop other health problems, such as severe arthritis, kidney stones and heart disease. Its important to discuss your symptoms with a healthcare provider.

Treating Gout At Home

This section on how to relieve gout pain is a very useful reference for those nights when you wake

up in agony. When you have a gout attack, you need to get the uric acid out of your system and treat

the pain.

You May Like: Is Onion Good For Gout

What Increases Your Chances For Gout

The following make it more likely that you will develop hyperuricemia, which causes gout:

• Being male

Using Tart Cherry Juice For Gout

Tart cherry juice may help decrease uric acid levels and inflammation in gout. Research is limited, with often small numbers of study participants and short-term follow-up.

Nevertheless, a 2019 review of six studies that looked at the effect of cherry juice or cherry extract intake on gout concluded that cherry intake was associated with a reduced risk of gout attacks. Researchers did note that larger, more long-term studies are needed to clarify this association.

When choosing tart cherry juice, be sure to look for unsweetened varieties to help reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet.

Don’t Miss: Are Almonds Good For Gout

Home Remedies For Gout Relief

There are several prescription and over-the-counter drugs that can help with gout flare-ups.

For example, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can help reduce inflammation and pain during a gout attack.

If youre prone to gout attacks, a doctor may also prescribe a medication to decrease the uric acid in your body, such as allopurinol.

If youre at home and in severe painor if you want to reduce your chances of a gout attackthere are a few evidence-backed natural remedies for gout relief, from foods to lifestyle changes.

If, for some reason, your gout gets worse or home remedies just arent cutting it, dont hesitate to see a health care provider or chat with a K doctor, who can help you manage the pain and teach you how to prevent future gout attacks.

Without further ado, here are some of the most common home remedies for gout.

How Can I Prevent Gout

With a little effort, you may be able to prevent gout attacks in the future. Here are some things you can do:

• Don’t eat foods high in purines

• Certain meats

• Organ meats

• Shellfish

• Certain fish

Read Also: Is Tofu Good For Gout

When To Get Help For A Gout Flare

It’s always a good idea to let your doctor know that you are having a flare. Sometimes, you may need to follow up to make sure your treatment plan is working or if your symptoms don’t improve. Call your doctor if:

This is your first flare-up. There are several other conditions, such as a joint infection, that have some of the same symptoms as gout attacks.

You have a highfever and chills. Gout attack symptoms may include a mild fever, but a higher temperature may be a sign of an infection.

Your symptoms don’t get any better after 48 hours or don’t end after about a week. If you don’t start to feel somewhat better after a few days, call your doctor. They may suggest a different treatment. Most gout attacks will go away by themselves in several weeks, even without treatment.

Show Sources

Rebecca Manno, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine, division of rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Robert T. Keenan, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine, division of rheumatology and immunology, Duke University School of Medicine.

Scott Zashin, MD, clinical professor of medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School attending physician, Presbyterian Hospital.

Lan Chen, MD, PhD, attending rheumatologist, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.

Gout and Pseudogout Treatment & Management: “Treatment.”

Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center: “Gout — Treatments for Gout.”

Merck Manual: “Gout.”

Home Remedies For Long

The American College of Rheumatology recommends a couple of lifestyle modifications for preventing future attacks of gout:

1) Lose weight if you need to. Being overweight can increase uric acid levels as well as put pressure on the joints.

2) Follow a low-purine diet. Another effective way to reduce uric acid levels is to follow a low-purine diet. Purines are organic compounds that break down into uric acid. Following a low-purine diet means avoiding the big four alcohol, shellfish, red meat, and high fructose corn syrup.

Limiting these foods is also beneficial for heart health and people with gout are at higher risk for heart disease.

But dont go overboard with dietary changes to relieve gout pain though, advises Dr. Fields. You can find lists of thousands of different foods youre not supposed to have if you have gout. Those recommendations are impossible to follow and can make you crazy.

Read Also: Onions Bad For Gout

The Pathology Of Gout

Gout is primarily a metabolic disorder in which uric acid accumulates in blood and tissues. When tissue levels reach saturation, needle-like crystals form, causing inflammation. This occurs most commonly in the cooler joints, notably the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe.

Many people with hyperuricemia never develop gout, but those with the highest levels are most likely to suffer episodes. Hyperuricemia may also lead to kidney stones.

What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Gout

Medications for acute gout attack: These medications are usually prescribed to treat an acute attack of gout:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs : These can quickly relieve the pain and swelling of an acute gout episode. They can shorten the attack, especially if taken in the first 24 hours.
• Corticosteroids: These drugs can be taken by mouth or injected into an inflamed joint to quickly relieve the pain and swelling of an acute attack. Corticosteroids usually start working within 24 hours after they are taken.
• Colchicine: An anti-inflammatory medicine that works best if taken within the first 24 hours of a gout attack.

Medications for reducing uric acid levels: These are usually prescribed after an acute attack ends to reduce uric acid levels in the body to prevent future attacks.

• Colchicine: Regular and low doses of colchicine may be given along with other medications below to prevent flare-ups.
• Allopurinol: It reduces uric acid production in the body.
• : It reduces uric acid production in the body.
• Probenecid: It acts on the kidneys to help eliminate uric acid.
• Pegloticase: This is a medication that is injected every 2 weeks. It reduces uric acid quickly and used when other medications fail.

Lifestyle and home remedies to treat acute gout and can prevent recurrent attacks:

• Limiting or avoiding alcohol consumption and drinks sweetened with fructose
• Limiting intake of foods high in purines, such as red meat, organ meats, and seafood
• Drinking plenty of fluids

Don’t Miss: Cherry Juice For Gout Mayo Clinic