Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Gout

Posted by sanjay on Wednesday 22 Apr 2009

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Gout is an acute, recurring inflammation and swelling of the joints. Gout predominately affects middle-aged men and some women who have already undergone menopause. Gout attacks generally cause tenderness, heat, and inflammation in the affected joints. The attacks usually occur early in the morning or late at night. Symptoms can linger for seven to ten days.

Causes of Gout
• Presence of uric acid crystals in the kidneys, skin, and joints
• Overindulgence in alcohol
• Heredity
• Overindulgence in rich foods
• A lack of exercise
• Stress

Symptoms of Gout
• Toe pain, wherein the big toe becomes tender, hot, and inflamed. This is the most common symptom of gout.
• Knee and wrist pain where the affected area becomes tender, hot, and inflamed.
• Fever
• Poor appetite
• Kidney stones (with uric acid)

Home remedies for Gout
• Cherries – eat 15 to 25 cherries per day (whether fresh or canned).
• Apples – eat one apple after every meal. The apples help neutralize uric acid.
• Carrot juice – mix carrot juice with beet and cucumber juices and drink it daily.
• String bean juice – take 150 ml daily.
• Lime juice – squeeze half a lime into water and drink the mixture twice a day to strengthen connective tissues and dissolve uric acid.
• Bananas – eat 8 to 9 bananas each day for 3 to 4 days to provide relief.

Diet for Gout
Orange Juice/Water Fast – fast for three days, drinking only orange juice and water, after the orange juice/water fast, begin an all fruit diet for three to four days. Eat only fresh fruits and after the fresh fruit diet, begin a well-balanced diet, including all natural foods such as fresh fruits and raw vegetables.

Helpful Tips for Gout sufferers
Try to reduce unnecessary stress in your life and relax, use cold packs on sore, affected joints, take Epsom salt baths twice daily, 2 to 3 times a week during gout attacks, use warm water enemas every day during any fasting period and avoid uric acid-producing foods, such as meat, eggs, fish, tea, coffee, sugar and white flour.