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Treatment for Gout
Gout is a painful and potentially disabling form of arthritis and is one of the first diseases ever described in western medicine by Hippocrates in 500 B.C. Gout is a disorder of metabolism, the origin of which is not clear. It results in accumulation in the blood of uric acid which is deposited in the form salts or crystals of sodium urate in and around the joints with the production of recurrent attacks of acute arthritis. Certain foods, such as shellfish and alcohol, may increase uric acid levels and lead to gout attacks. Some medications also can increase uric acid levels. Examples of such medications include moderate-dose aspirin, diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide, and immunosuppressant used in organ transplantation such as. With time, increased uric acid levels in the blood may lead to deposits of monosodium urate crystals in and around the joints.
Its initial symptoms usually consist of intense episodes of painful swelling in single joints, most often in the feet.
Gout afflicts about 1 in 100 people and as many as 6 - 7 percent of older men. This condition and its complications occur more often in men, women after menopause, and people with kidney disease.
Treatments are now available to control most cases of gout, but diagnosing this disorder can be difficult and treatment plans often have to be tailored for each person.
How to treat Gout?
- Gout is strongly associated with obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. Because of genetic factors, gout tends to run in some families.
- Rest the affected joint(s).
- Gout as a general disease is treated quite successfully with one of the several drugs which speed up the process of removing uric acids.
- Treatment must always be supervised by physicians and a timely dose more often than not cures gout.
- During the acute and the very painful stages of acute gout, the painful joint should be covered carefully by cotton wool or cloth, supported on pillows and the weight of bedclothes carried by a cradle.
- Applications of lead lotion or spraying with Ethyl Chloride may afford some relief.
- A light diet with plentiful fluids should be administered.
- Between attacks and in chronic gout the diet should be strictly moderated and alcohol is usually avoided. Meat should only be taken once a day, but sweetbreads, liver, kidneys, duck and rich games are best if avoided.
- Medicines that are prescribed are: Acetaminophen (brand name-Tylenol) or other analgesic painkillers - for pain, Fenofibrate which helps lower the urate level in the system, Probenecid , Sulfinpyrazone, NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), Colchicines, Corticosteroids.
- However, since corticosteroids can weaken cartilage and remove minerals from the bone, they should only be used rarely.