Posted on Oct 24, 2012 in Gout | 17 comments

Understanding which home remedies work for easing the pain of gout is super important. This is because gout pain can be incredibly excruciating. In this article we uncover the most effective natural remedies known about for curing this problem without harmful side effects.

Gout is an inflammatory disease in the joints caused due to the excessive uric acid. It is actually a form of arthritis and is also referred to as gouty arthritis. The kidneys are not able to eliminate the excessive uric acid which crystallizes and gets deposited in joints, especially in the big toes.It may also cause inflammation in toes, ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and ears.

It may be due to heredity, overweight, heavy alcohol consumption, exposure to lead or intake of very rich in purine. It is also called the ‘disease of the kings’. Gout, when left untreated may lead to damage in joints and disability.

Gout itself can be a painful and disruptive condition. Some people experience only a single episode of gout, and while the gout may become painful, once it goes away they’re left in generally the same health and condition as they were before the gout occurred.

But in some cases, that gout can become chronic, and when that gout becomes chronic it may start to create crystals that group and become what’s known as “tophi.” Once it does, you may have developed what’s known as tophaceous gout.

What Are Tophi?

As explained earlier gout is a buildup of uric acid that then breaks up and causes pain in joints and cartilage. But in some people, the uric acid doesn’t break. Instead, it turns into a hard crystal that can get larger over time. These crystals may lodge in joints, cartilage, and bone, and while they may be painless they can eventually cause significant damage to the joints and bone. This is what’s known as tophaceous gout – gout that has become so chronic that it has created tophi.

Tophi can grow so large that they may be visible, and in some cases can break through the skin. They can affect anyone with chronic gout, but they are most likely to affect those that did not seek treatment for their initial gout. On average, tophi occur roughly ten years after gout has been diagnosed.

How to Self-Diagnose Tophaceous Gout

Generally the best ways to diagnose a tophi is to talk to your doctor. Tophi can often be confused with more dangerous diseases, such as certain types of cancers. Only a doctor can tell you with any certainty that you are suffering from tophaceous gout.

However, you can at least recognize the onset of tophaceous gout if:

• You have a history of chronic gout.
• The lump appears to be affecting/near joints or bones.
• The bump seemed to grow fairly quickly.
• If you stretch the skin over the bump, it appears whitish or chalky.

Symptoms are the same as traditional gout, except that the tophi may also erode the bone and cause visual deformity. Once tophaceous gout occurs, it becomes very difficult to treat with traditional dietary changes.

Preventing Gout

It starts with prevention. If you experience gout symptoms, it’s important that you start immediately treating your gout using some of the dietary changes and natural supplements that appear to have an effect on gout formation. Make sure that you are drinking ample water and taking advantage of herbal remedies that can reduce uric acid buildup.

Once you already have tophaceous gout, it becomes a bit more complicated, but treatment is generally the same. If you can lower your uric acid levels, you should be able to help your body break down the tophi over time. However, since tophi developed because of extremely high uric acid levels it may be a bit more difficult – and possibly more painful – to break them down with any sort of speed. That’s why prevention should be your greatest consideration if you have chronic gout, and you should talk to your doctor about your tophi options if they have already formed.

Controlling Tophaceous Gout

Gout that’s been left untreated can be difficult to control, but tophaceous gout is treatable. Make sure that you’re following all of the dietary and natural tips for controlling gout, talk to your doctor, and your ability to stop tophaceous gout will improve. And also be sure to read the home remedies  for gout further down this article.

Treatment may include many medications, home remedies and natural cures. The medications include NSAIDs like ibuprofen, corticosteroids like prednisone and other medicines prescribed by the doctor. Although, these medications help in pain relief and treating gout, there may be side effects like pain in the abdomen, ulcers and weakening of immune system etc. There are many natural methods for treating this disease that are effective and absolutely free of side effects. These are listed further down in this article.

Causes of Gouty Arthritis

There are many causes of gout and as much as you want to avoid it, it will be really hard if you do not know what you are doing.  So if you are feeling intense pain in your toes, knees, elbows, wrists and other parts of your body that has joints and you eat a lot of foods with uric acid and go drinking often, there is a high possibility that you are dealing with gout.

People who are older are more prone to getting gout. There are many causes of gout and you will have to avoid these causes to avoid your condition from getting worse. The first thing that you should do is to avoid food that has high uric acid content. Uric acid is the main cause of arthritic gout and if you are not able to control your intake, you will be in for a long time of suffering.

swollen-foot-with-gout

Another way to avoid more suffering from gouty arthritis is to avoid eating too much. Eating too much makes the body produce more uric acid which will cause more pain to the parts with gout.

Gout happens when the uric acid turns into crystal like substances when they precipitate. It feels like needles poking your joints and it really hurts. The more uric acid the body produces, the bigger the chances of uric to precipitate which means that you are in for more pain.

You should be ready with home remedies just in case pain acts up when you are at home because dealing with gout can make you immobile because it will be too painful for you to move. You will not be able to do the things that you need to do if the pain persists.

Home Remedies

There are plenty of natural and home remedies that you can do to ease the pain caused from gout. If you are stuck at home and it is too painful for you to get some medicine, you can try the following…

• Garlic and Gout: Garlic is a fantastic cure for gout. It removes the excessive uric acid from the body. Chew two to three pods of raw garlic. The natural smell of garlic is pungent and if you cannot bear the odor, you can also boil garlic pods in milk and water and drink it. Turmeric is also a wonderful natural gout remedy. Make sure that your recipes include garlic, ginger and turmeric.

• Ginger and Gout: Ginger alone is excellent to relieve joint pain:

Prepare a mixture of water and tiny bits of ginger. Drop the ginger into the water and dip the affected area of your body into the water. This will take out the uric acid in the area but you have to make sure that you wash right after using this kind of remedy.

• Baking Soda for Gout: Dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda in quarter cup of water and drink this solution in empty stomach.

• Gout and Water: Drink plenty of water. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.

• Apples, Bananas and Gout: The natural malic acid that is found in the apple neutralizes the uric acid. Bananas have been known to relieve people from gout effectively and citrus fruits with high concentration of vitamin C will help the body deal with excess uric acid.

• Cherry Juice for Gout: Anthocyanin present in the cherries helps in reducing the inflammation caused due to gout. The cherry remedy is famous because it has proven very effective, in fact it is probably the best remedy of them all. Eat plenty of apples, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and of course, cherries.

• Apple Cider Vinegar for Gout: Cure exposed. Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in two tablespoons of honey. Drinking this twice a day is a great remedy.

• Green Tea and Gout: Drink plenty of green tea and tender coconut. Increasing the fluid intake is very important.

• Foods to Avoid with Gout: Avoid purine rich food like red meat, mushrooms, processed bakery food and oatmeal in your diet. Avoid vegetables like cauliflower, spinach and legumes like beans and peas. Mushrooms should also be avoided because they are rich in proteins. Your diet should not be rich in protein as well as purines. Fried foods, rich desserts, white flour, sugar, tinned food and caffeinated drinks are rich in uric acid. Avoid them in your diet.

• Best Diet for Gout: Natural diet is important too. Include a lot of fresh vegetables, fruits and sprouts in your diet. You can also drink plenty of vegetable juices like carrot juice, cucumber juice, french beans juice, and unsweetened fresh juices. The right diet is very important. Make sure you have these fruits and vegetables at home to beat gouty arthritis when it acts up. Prepare a diet planner and follow it strictly.

• Epsom Salts Bath: If you have gout in toes there are some very effective remedies. Soaking your feet in water dissolved with charcoal powder, or ginger paste or apple cider vinegar or Epsom salts gives relief from the pain. You can also add Epsom salts to your bath. The magnesium in Epsom salts has a magical effect.

• Hot Cold Pack for Gout: You can also apply some packs on the affected area to get relief from the pain. Applying ice pack is the easiest way to reduce the pain. You can also apply warm heating pad to soothe down the pressure. You can apply cold and hot packs alternately to get relief. Make a paste with half a cup of charcoal powder and water and apply it on the affected area and leave it for half an hour. Then wash it away with warm water. You can also apply a paste of wheat flour mixed with mustard powder and water. You should leave this pack overnight to get full relief. Wrapping a wet towel on the inflamed area also gives relief.

Lifestyle Changes

Natural methods also include some life style changes.

• Gout and Alcohol: Avoid alcohol completely. Rotate the joints and exercise the joints slowly.

• Use a Walking Stick: Avoid exerting weight on the affected area. If you have gout problem in your toes or ankles, you can use a walking stick to walk. If you are not willing to use it in workplace, you can use a stick at least in your home.

• Elevate Your Legs: Keep your legs elevated when you are sitting or lying down naturally lowers blood pressure.

• Lose Weight: Make sure you are not overweight. It is better to reduce your weight immediately if you are obese or overweight.

• Gout and Exercise: Exercise regularly. Exercises make you sweat. Sweating is necessary to eliminate the excessive uric acid in the body. Exercises also strengthen your joints. Your joints can be protected from getting damaged.

• Have Sex: Are you a male? Here is some good news for you. Regular sex prevents formation of gout.

• Lead Poisoning: Are there any chances that you may have developed lead poisoning due to exposure to lead in workplace or at home? If so, make the necessary tests to rule out lead poisoning.

• Avoid Tight Clothing: Wear comfortable clothes. Avoid tight fitting stocks.

• Stress and Gout: Avoid stress. Stress increases the production of uric acid in the body. This will naturally lower by being relaxed. Practice yoga, meditation and natural breathing exercises to reduce stress.

• Sleep Well: Sleep apnea worsens gout.

Gout remedies also include alternative therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy and herbal medicines. Acupuncture is the ancient Chinese therapy that treats many diseases by inserting thin needles in certain areas. The needles are not inserted directly on the affected area, but in other areas. Acupressure is also similar, but pressure is applied instead of needles. A professional homeopathy practitioner can treat gout and prevent further attacks through various homeopathy medicines. The medicines vary from one patient to another depending upon the severity, symptoms and other factors. The herbal remedies for gout include extracts from devil’s claw, gravel root and nettle root etc. It is a good idea to stock up your herbs at home and keep dry herbs sealed.

Special Homeopathic Remedy for Gout

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Closing Thoughts

It is better to prevent gout rather than treating it. Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink plenty of water. If you have gout, don’t worry. As you have read there are many remedies and you can choose one to suit your needs and requirements.

Above video: Professionals in the field of gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and various like illnesses are assembling for the yearly meet of scientific medicine and disease held at the American College of Rheumatology in Chicago, USA. The Chairman of rheumatology; Eric Matteson from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota., discusses the newest advancements made in treatment and research predominantly towards treatment of gout.

I hope you found these home remedies helpful and you can finally get some relief from that gout pain. If you enjoyed our article please leave a comment and share the post. Thanks.

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