Gout is a very painful arthritic condition that mainly affects the big toe and surrounding area, found predominantly in men. A gout flare-up is unpredictable and caused by too much uric acid in the blood which creates urate crystals.
These tiny spiky crystals are a waste product from the liver and are processed by the kidneys to remove them from the body through urination.
Usually, the body dissolves and eliminates uric acid and we are totally unaware of this process. However, if there is a build-up of uric acid to the point where the body cannot dispel it, the crystals will collect in joints and the immune system attacks them, causing arthritis-like pain.
Even though gout can occur in other joints like knees, elbows, ankles, wrists, and fingers, it usually affects the big toe. A flare-up involves extreme tenderness, pain, swelling, redness, and heat in the affected area, and often an inability to wear socks or shoes. Joint mobility may also be affected. Gout attacks get progressively worse over time and can occur with increasing frequency.
Waking up in the middle of the night with a toe on fire is a common initial symptom of gout. However, it is important to note that not all pain in our toe joint is caused by gout so a medical diagnosis is warranted if one suspects gout. Other inflammatory responses (that are similar to gout) include psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis, fractures, pseudogout, cellulitis (skin infection), or septic arthritis (joint infection). If your pain is accompanied by a fever, please seek medical attention right away.
Where does uric acid come from?
Our body produces it to break down purines, which are substances found in foods like (but not limited to) red meat, liver and other organ meat, some seafood (mainly tuna, anchovies, sardines, scallops, mussels, and trout), beer, and fructose-sweetened drinks. It is unknown why some people are more prone to gout attacks than others, but there seems to be a strong connection to diet. Foods that are high in purine tend to exacerbate gout if one is prone to it. The typical North American diet of (red meat) burgers and beer (and Coke/Pepsi) often leads to gout.
As mentioned above, men are usually more prone to gout than women in the under-40 age group, but there is an increasing number of women of menopause age or older who are being afflicted by gout alongside their male counterparts.
There are other factors that can contribute to gout. If a parent or grandparent had gout, offspring are more prone to it. Overweight people tend to produce more uric acid and have stressed kidneys which makes it more difficult to eliminate uric acid from the body. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and metabolic syndrome also contribute to higher gout risk. Some medications that may increase the risk of gout include anti-rejection drugs (used for transplant patients), ACE inhibitors, diuretics, beta-blockers, aspirin and hypertension medications. Recent trauma or surgery can bring on an attack.
Untreated gout can cause other complications such as kidney stones, destruction of the affected joint, or a condition called tophi, where urate crystals collect under the skin in many areas (hands, feet, elbows, or backs of the ankle).
Treatments may include anti-inflammatory medication, injections, and definitely cutting out purine-producing foods as mentioned above, and eating an anti-inflammatory diet.
I have several customers who have found our Tart Cherry Elixir to be very helpful in addition to increasing water intake and tending to their healthy gut bacteria (taking probiotics or foods rich in probiotics). In the past, I have published a couple of articles on gut health as well as how to eat an anti-inflammatory diet, so please email me if you would like me to send them to you: [email protected].
When determining a course of treatment, please discuss options with your doctor and/or naturopath.
Claire Nielsen is a health coach, author, public speaker and founder of www.elixirforlife.ca. The information provided in the above article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional health and medical advice. Please consult a doctor, health-care provider or mental health practitioner if you're seeking medical advice, diagnoses and/or treatment.
