Gout : Causes, Prevention and Home Remedies

Gout is a disease that results from an overload of uric acid in the body. This overload of uric acid leads to the formation of tiny crystals of urate that deposit in tissues of the body, especially the joints. When crystals form in the joints, it causes recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis).

Chronic gout can also lead to deposits of hard lumps of uric acid in the tissues, particularly in and around the joints and may cause joint destruction, decreased kidney function, and kidney stones.

The most common gout symptom is acute pain in the big toe, which becomes tender, hot, and swollen in a few hours. It is therefore also known as the toe/feet disease. Likewise, it is known to affect other joints such as the knees and the wrists. It is possible for more than one joint to be affected simultaneously. The patient may experience gout attacks close to midnight or in the early hours of the morning. The intense pain can even cause the patient to wake up.

Self care is an important aspect of gout treatment, whether or not you are on medications for the condition. Home remedies for gout pain, whether in the knee, big toe, ankle or foot are meant to facilitate healing and provide relief from the painful symptoms of gout attacks, they are not meant to treat the condition itself.

. The cherry, sweet or sour, is considered in effective treating gout.Consume about fifteen to twenty cherries a day, preferably as soon as you wake up. Subsequently, you can begin to reduce the amount of cherries you consume.

. A mocktail of carrot, beetroot and cucumber juice seems to be effective in treating gout. Add 100 ml of beetroot and 100 ml of cucumber juice to 300 ml of carrot juice and this must be consumed on a daily basis.

. The juice of French beans has also proved effective in treating gout. About 150 ml of this juice should be taken daily by the patient suffering from this disease.

. Apples are regarded as an excellent source for curing gout. The patient is advised to take one apple after each meal.

. A diet of bananas only for three or four days is advised for providing some relief from gout. A patient can take eight or nine bananas daily during this period and nothing else.

. The citric acid found in lime is a solvent of the uric acid which is the primary cause of this disease. The juice of half a lime, squeezed into a glass of water, should be taken twice daily.

. Avoid all purine and uric acid-producing foods such as all meats, eggs, and fish; tea, coffee, sugar, white flour and its products; and all canned, processed, and fried foods.

. Mackerel, herring, and anchovies are just a few of the fish foods to avoid with gout.

. Avoid caffeinated and carbonated drinks as these will simply aggravate the problem.

. Avoid consuming any alcohol as it severely impairs your body’s ability to eliminate excess uric acid.

. Epsom salts foot baths are advised twice daily. About 250 gm - 500gm of these salts may be added to tolerably hot water for this purpose.

. Cold packs, applied to the affected joints at night, will be beneficial.

. A natural remedy that can bring immediate relief is to make a paste of ½ cup activated powdered charcoal, 3 tbsps of finely ground flaxseed and warm water. Apply directly on the affected area and cover with a cloth.

. A castor oil pack is also an excellent remedy for treating gout. This can be made by soaking a piece of white flannel in warm castor oil. Squeeze out the excess oil and place it over the affected area.

. Taking a tbsp of organic raw apple cider vinegar in a glass of water daily is also helpful as the apple cider vinegar creates an alkaline environment which is effective in treating gout.


~source:natural-homeremedies.com~