Home remedies are proving to be among the most effective – and to have the least harmful side effects – of any known treatments for gout. While there are still no miracle cures for gout, a safe, effective, and
natural treatment is available in the comfort of your home. The over 2 million Americans estimated by the National Institute of Health to be suffering from this painful and debilitating condition now have a choice in their treatment.
Home remedies including diet and herbs have shown great promise in controlling gout. Gout, or crystal arthritis, typically affects the big toe, but can affect any of the major joints such as the ankle, knee, wrist, hand, elbow, or foot. Attacks are usually limited to one joint at a time and do not spread. Untreated or unmanaged over the course of months and years, the crystals formed from the build up of uric acid continue to accumulate and grow. They can form hard deposits called tophi, which protrude and appear to be lumps or bumps underneath the skin. If you suffer from gout, you don't need anyone to tell you how painful it can be!
Common methods of controlling the pain associated with an onset of gout include both prescribed and over-the-counter pain relievers. However, some of these medications can have more serious side effects than gout itself. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) combat the inflamed join or tissue, but are only a temporary fix and cannot decrease the amount of uric acid in a person’s system, which is the cause of gout. This inability to treat the cause of gout, plus severe possible side effects such as stomach ulcers, pain, bleeding, and diarrhea eliminate NSAIDs as a gout cure-all.
Other commonly prescribed medications include corticosteroids and colchicines. Corticosteroids help relieve minor pain and inflammation, but are only a temporary remedy with serious side effects such as decreased bone density and a compromised immune system which lessens the body’s natural healing process and its ability to fight common infections. Colchicines are considered by some physicians to be the preeminent drugs for treating gout, but they also can produce serious side effects such as stomach cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Fortunately there are natural alternatives to relieve and cure gout. Among the most effective – especially in older persons – are simple home remedies using diet (and sometimes) herbal supplements. A proper diet has been proven extremely effective at managing and preventing gout. And it does so without the disagreeable and unhealthy side effects mentioned above.
A home remedy that will help prevent gout includes a diet designed avoid foods high in purines. It would limit the consumption of some types of meats. It would allow the temperate consumption of other types of meat and cereals such as oatmeal, wheat bran, and wheat germ. New research recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests that items previously believed to cause or exacerbate gout such as peas, beans, cauliflower, spinach, and mushrooms play no significant role in gout attacks.
You can quickly control gout with your diet and herbs; the evidence is overwhelming. The American Medical Association advocates a diet high in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. This ideal diet is low in protein and limits animal fats to less than 10% of your daily consumption. There are ample unrefined, tasty, and natural choices in the properly designed diet, including strawberries, tomatoes, and fruit juices. Your anti-gout diet and herbal regimen would include excellent sources of protein which do not cause or aggravate gout, such as poultry, soy, and certain types of nuts.
Effective home remedies can control gout without dependency upon drugs. By utilizing a natural approach, you will improve your overall health, avoid harmful side effects, and live free of gout and its discomforts. Even if you intend to utilize drugs as a temporary treatment for your gout, adopting an “anti-gout” diet is a great idea, supported by sound medical research.
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