Gout Triggers

Gout triggers were once considered a luxury of the idle rich because they were the only ones who could afford overindulgence in food and drink in those days. Today we know that gout is a metabolic disorder. However, a poor diet can worsen the condition.When someone is diagnosed with gout, a picture of King Henry VIII often comes to mind, who appeared to be a glutton for rich food and wine. He was often pictured swilling his port wine, munching on a mutton leg, with his swollen foot inclined on a footstool. Signs

With gout sufferers, uric acid, which is a urine waste product, is either under expelled, overproduced, or a bit of both. When a patient has excessive uric acid in their system, the excess forms crystals. These crystals likened to shards of glass can be deposited into a joint space, rather than being flushed by the kidneys. Although gout is found in the joints of the feet, fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles, the crystals most often find their way to the bunion joint of the big toe.

Symptoms

The afflicted joints suddenly become painfully swollen, flushed, tender, and stiff. At times chills and fever may follow. You may notice your skin in the affected area appears shiny and purple or red in color. Pain from an acute attack of gout can be excruciating.

Gout can sneak up on an otherwise healthy person with no advance warning. The pain can be so intense that it wakes you up from a sound sleep. Mostly men develop the disease between the ages of 30 and 50. Women who are protected from the disease because of hormones released by their bodies seldom get gout until after menopause, if ever.

Gout Triggers

Traditional Chinese medicine advises gout sufferers to avoid acid-forming foods such as dairy products like hard cheeses, baked goods, pork, white flour products, white sugar, and acidic fruits.

Gout affects millions of Americans, with the majority of sufferers being males. Risk factors of the disease include drinking alcohol, a family history of gout, taking certain medications, high blood pressure, gaining weight, or being overweight. Eventually, if gout triggers are left unchecked, the crystals may be deposited into the soft tissue of the body, joints, cartilage, and tendons to form lumps. The crystals can also cause harm to the kidneys.

Treatment

The good news is that gout can frequently be completely controlled with proper treatment. Effective treatments include the use of nonsterodial anti-inflammatory drugs for pain and inflammation, abstinence from alcohol, dietary restrictions, and possibly medications to reduce the amount of uric acid production or increase its excretion.

Celery is used in China as a natural remedy for treating gout. A strong tea made from celery seeds, along with plenty of celery included in the diet, can help to neutralize uric acids found in the body.

Celery Tea

Place three tablespoons of celery seeds in two quarts of water. Cover the container and allow to simmer slowly for several hours. Then strain the celery tea. Drink one cup of hot tea up to four times a day for relieving gout triggers.

Preventions

To prevent gout triggers, meals should include steamed vegetables, plain brown rice, or alkaline fruits. People with gout should avoid alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Rich, starchy foods are particularly off limits.

Ancient Chinese herbalists discovered that Fo-Ti-Tieng Roots tea effectively dissolves toxic build-up in the body and joints. The root tea is now available in most health food stores so you do not have to go all the way to China to get it! It is used as an anti-inflammatory therapy for gout prevention.

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