Treatment of Gout Causes

Identifying gout causes can help you find the appropriate treatment for it. Gout causes are primarily due to the abnormally high level of uric acid in the body. Uric acid tends to form hard crystals in the body joints thus causing pain and inflammation. Pain and inflammation in the joints result to episodes of gout attacks. Uric acid is produced from the breakdown of purines.

Treatment of gout causes is primarily aimed at primary prevention, management and prevention of future attacks.

Primary Prevention

Prevention of gout ultimately rests on the following:

· Adequate fluid intake helps prevent gout attacks. It also decreases the risk of formation of kidney stones.

· Maintaining an ideal balanced weight- Weight reduction can be helpful in reducing recurrent gout attacks. This is best achieved through lessening dietary fat and regular exercise.

· Dietary change that include the reduction of intake of foods that are high in purine. Foods that are high in purine include shellfish and organ meats such as liver, brains, kidneys, and sweetbreads. While meat and seafoods can trigger high uric acid levels, dairy foods and substitutes appears to reduce it.

· Lessening of alcohol consumption- Alcohol has diuretic effects and may contribute to dehydration and cause gout attacks. It can also affect uric acid metabolism. It slows down the elimination of uric acid by the kidneys and causes dehydration that results to the crystallization of uric acid and form in and around body tissues and joints.

Management of Symptoms

Medications are the first line of treatment in the management of gout.

· Pain relievers or other potent analgesics are used to manage pain and inflammation.

· Anti-inflammatory agents are used to decrease joint inflammation. Do not use aspirin as it can increase levels of uric acid in the body.

· Certain medications that lower the presence of uric acid in the blood are ultimately used to treat gout. They are not given though during episodes of gout attacks. Taking these medications during a gout attack can cause the movement of uric acid into other body joints and may cause more pain and attacks in the future.

· Persons who cannot take anti-inflammatory drugs like those who have chronic kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and heart failure are given corticosteroids instead.

Relief from gout attack usually occurs 4 hours after the initial treatment is started. During gout attacks, do not be surprised if the physician would give a maximum daily dose of one or more medications used for short-term treatment. Doses are then lessened as the symptoms start to go away.

Prevention of Future Attacks

In preventing future attacks, your doctor may prescribe medicines to reduce uric acid buildup in the blood. Make sure that you take the appropriate dosage of medications prescribed by your physician. There are some medications that are taken for the rest of their life.

Vigilance with diet and food intake by low purine diet can prevent further gout attacks in the future. Eat moderately and control your body weight and make sure you get the right nutrients. Drink plenty of water.
Gout causes can certainly be prevented and treated. You just have to know how and follow the treatment procedure vigilantly.