Gout is a form of arthritis that causes severe pain and inflammation in the joints.  Often, it wakes the sufferer up in the middle of the night with a burning so tender that even moving under a blanket can feel like having your joints pressed in a steam iron.  The affected joints are usually reddened and tender to the touch. 

Gout usually occurs suddenly, often in the middle of the night.  It is marked by intense joint pain, typically in the big toe, but can also occur in the feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists.  The infected joints appear swollen, red and are very tender to the touch.  The pain can last anywhere from 5-10 days, then subsides, gradually becoming pain free in about two weeks. 

Typically, men are the usual sufferers of gout, though it is becoming increasingly common among post-menopausal women.

What are the causes of gout?

Gout is caused by an accumulation of urate crystals in the joints, inflaming the joint.  Urate crystals are formed due to an overabundance of uric acid in the blood.  Foods high in purines, such as organ meats (i.e. liver, brains, kidneys and sweetbreads), anchovies, herring, asparagus and mushrooms, release uric acid when digested, sometimes causing uric acid levels in the blood to increase.  While increased uric acid levels may not be particularly harmful to most, genetics seem to play a major role in the body’s ability to filter uric acid naturally.  Those whose kidneys do not adequately filter uric acid quickly, can develop gout.

Men age 40-50 seem to be most susceptible to gout, as well as post-menopausal women.  Other factors that increase chances of gout are excess consumption of alcohol, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis.  Some medications such as thiazide diuretics and even low-dose aspirin can increase uric acid levels.  If you are at risk for gout, ask your doctor for more information on gout.  Remember, if the pain is bad enough to wake you up in the middle of the night and continues for several days, you should definitely see your doctor.  Undiagnosed and untreated gout can lead to recurrences and joint tissue damage.

Preventing Gout

Not only is gout treatable, it can also be preventable.  While there are some genetic causes to gout, the propensity for gout can be alleviated by some simple lifestyle changes.  First and foremost, if you are overweight, see your doctor about starting a weight-loss program.  Second, reduce or even eliminate alcohol consumption.  Third, reduce intake of foods that are high in purines, such as such as organ meats (i.e. liver, brains, kidneys and sweetbreads), anchovies, herring, asparagus and mushrooms.  Fourth, eat low-fat dairy products as well as wheat, green gram, raisins and ginger.

Home Remedies for Gout

          Luckily, there are a few home remedies for gout you can perform that will help alleviate its painful symptoms.

1. Apples are extremely effective as a home remedy for gout.  Its natural antioxidants and purging effects cleanse the body naturally of uric acid.  Eat an apple with every meal.
2. Cherries are also potent against gout.  Either in sweet or sour form, cherries also contain high antioxidant levels and can also cleanse the body.  Consume about fifteen to twenty cherries a day while gout symptoms persist.  While fresh cherries are best, canned or preserved cherries are also beneficial.
3. The juice from French beans can also help alleviate the symptoms of gout.  To treat the symptoms of gout, drink about a half a cup of French bean juice per day for a month.
4. Other raw vegetables also work well against gout.  Carrot juice mixed with beet and cucumber juice can also be effective with gout symptoms.  Again, drink about a half a cup of this mixture per day for a month.
5. Citric acid found in lemons and limes (as well as apples and cherries) is a natural solvent of uric acid.  Squeeze the juice from a half a lemon or lime into one glass (8 ounces) of water.  This mixture should be taken twice daily for best results.
6. A charcoal bath is also an excellent home remedy for gout.  In a bowl or basin, simply mix one half cup of charcoal powder with water into a paste.  Place affected area into the bowl or basin and fill bowl or basin with water until the affected area is submerged.  Steep the affected area in the charcoal bath for thirty to sixty minutes.

These simple home remedies for gout are excellent ways to treat the symptoms of gout as they occur and, when used regularly as part of a low-purine diet, can help prevent painful recurrences.  As with any disease, make sure you are treating the cause, and not just the symptoms.  Make the lifestyle change necessary to free yourself from the miserable pain of gout.