Friday, October 23, 2009

Gout and Gout Treatment

By Bart Icles

It is never fun to have sudden pain attacks in your joint - even if it is just a single joint in your body. Gout is among the many kinds of joint conditions that fall under arthritis that can affect any one of any age at any time and place. However, gout is most commonly first observed in the big toe and most attacks happen at night. Gouty joints are typically identified through red signs of inflammation.

More often than not, gout affects men and the initial attack can affect the big toe for several days. Even when left untreated, the symptoms can disappear and may not occur for weeks, months or years. In some cases, a gout attack does not recur. However, there are severe cases wherein recurring attacks over long periods of time causes damage to the affected joints and may even lead to loss of mobility. It is important that you learn more about gout treatment options to help prevent future attacks.

There are many different kinds of gout treatment but they all aim at putting an end to acute gout attacks, giving rapid and safe relief for pain and inflammation, preventing subsequent attacks, and avoiding complications like the formation of tophi and/or kidney stones, as well as the degradation or destruction of the joints. Gout is often treated successfully and without complications but treatment becomes more difficult if there are other existing conditions or if the patient does not comply to the recommended medication regimen or lifestyle changes.

Gout treatment can be in the form of dietary alterations, wherein doctors would often recommend low-purine diet plans. Treatment can also include other preventive measures like having enough fluid intakes, weight management, reduction in the consumption of alcohol, and the use of medications that help reduce hyperuricemia. The most common gout medications include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, colchicines, corticosteroids, adrenocorticotropic hormone or ACTH, allopurinol, probenecid, and sulfinpyrazone.

There are many kinds of gout treatment available but as the age-old adage says, prevention is always better than cure. It helps to observe a well-balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle if we do not want to develop such conditions as gout. It can be annoying to suddenly feel pain in your joints for no obvious reason, especially when the pain attacks happen in the middle of your sleep. Keep yourself free of gout - start having a well balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle now. - 14130

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