Gout Remedies

Symptoms And Causes Of Gouts

Gout is a disease that causes pain, inflammation, and swelling of the joints and tissues. Although gout can happen to anybody, people with arthritis, middle-aged men, and menopausal women are at an increased risk. Poor lifestyle, alcohol abuse, kidney dysfunction, use of certain medications, and a family history of gout can also raise the chances significantly. Gout usually shows the symptoms of sudden and acute pain at the joints in the regions of the ankle, knee, or wrist, accompanied with inflammation, swelling, and redness around the affected area. The attack of gout is usually sudden (often at midnight) and stays for a few days before going away on its own. Gout is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid, in normal conditions, should get expelled by the kidneys, but if somehow the uric acid level increases beyond the normal limit it gets deposited as urate crystals around the joints, causing gout. Although the attacks of gout are sporadic and they go away on their own, it is important to get this treated at the earliest because, left untreated, it can get worse with time and result in more complications.

Home Remedies For Gouts

There are a few home remedies that are known to be effective for treating gout. Cherries – as well as other dark-skinned fruits like blueberry, dark grape, and blackberry – are known to be good for lowering the level of uric acid in the blood. Include these fruits in your daily diet to fight gout. Fruits rich in vitamin C (like orange and lime) are also supposed to be helpful. Make a juice of these fruits and drink them regularly every day. Vitamin C supplements can also be taken, if the dietary intake of vitamin C is inadequate. Dietary supplements should however never be taken in excess of the recommended dosage as this can result in complications. Consult your doctor or nutritionist to find out your required dosage. Bananas and apples are some other fruits that are also known to be effective for treating gout. It is important to give due importance to your diet because it has a significant effect on gout. Eat a natural and healthy diet of green vegetables and fresh fruits, along with whole grains, cereals, and nuts. Avoid animal protein in the diet as far as possible as they significantly increase the level of uric acid in the body. Alcohol should be strictly avoided as well. And most importantly, drink plenty of water all through the day so that it helps flush out uric acid with the urine.