Gout Crystals: Formation and Outcome
People with an overabundance of uric acid also known as gout suffer from symptoms such as pain in the joints, stiff and tight joints, and sometimes a lack of mobility in their joints. This medical condition arises when the body’s levels of uric acid increase to unhealthy levels and gout crystals develop and harden around the joints.
Gout most frequently affects the joints of the big toe, but it can also occur in the joints of the fingers, knees, elbows and ankles. If gout is not properly treated it can cause a loss of mobility in any of the joints that have been determined to have gout crystals around them.
Managing uric acid levels in the body can be done in several ways. These acid levels increase in the body due to eating too many foods that are rich in purine such as meats, certain seafood, and sweetbreads. Certain high purine, high caffeine drinks can also cause uric gout flare-ups.
If a person has the early stages of gout, a change of diet frequently relieves the pain and stiffness in the joints fairly quickly. Symptoms of gout can quickly disappear if you eliminate high purine foods and beverages from your diet and drink plenty of water; this helps flush the uric acid from your body.
If a change in your diet does not relieve all your gout symptoms, you might need to take medication that is specifically designed to break up the gout crystals. Mild medication such as NSAIDs sometimes relieve the symptoms, but stronger medications such as colchicine and probenecid are frequently needed to make sure all the crystals dissolve.
These stronger medications are more successful at relieving gout symptoms, but many people who take them have side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Taking these drugs is essentially the same as putting poison into your system, so if you experience these side effects, it is very important to notify your doctor right away. Your physician may decide it is necessary to put you on a different drug, depending on the severity of your side effects.
Some patients who are being treated for gout crystals around their joints find that exercise gives them tremendous relief. By moving and flexing the area of the body affected by gout, crystals can be broken up and will dissolve more easily. It is also very important to drink lots of fluids during exercise to help uric acids to leave the body when you perspire from working out. If you can exercise regularly it can be a more natural way to keep uric acids levels down and prevent a recurrence of gout flareups.
It is also important to be aware if there is any family history of gout. Most likely if a parent or grandparent suffered from this condition, you have a possibility of also acquiring it. Be proactive in controlling your diet and cutting back on foods that are rich in purines. Drink plenty of water to encourage the flushing out of uric acid in your system. Also, start a regular exercise routine to help promote flexibility and prevent the formation of gout crystals.
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