Common diseases that are normally neglected

  

Date Posted: 9/6/2012 2:40:27 AM

Posted By: Rens11277  Membership Level: Bronze  Total Points: 25

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Dear Family
This is For Your Information

What Is Gout?
Gout is a kind of arthritis. It can cause an attack of sudden burning pain, stiffness, and swelling in a joint that is caused by high uric acid levels in your blood (hyperuricemia). These attacks happen over and over unless gout is treated. Over time, they can harm your joints, tendons, and other tissues. Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in men over the age of 40.

Causes of Gout
• Uric acid crystals building up in the joint leading to inflammation.
• Certain high-protein foods can make the body produce too much uric acid, triggering gout. Beverages such as tea, coffee, cocoa, lead to extra water loss from the body.
• moderate to heavy alcohol intake
• High blood pressure and abnormal kidney function.
• Certain diseases e.g. leukemia, lymphomas, and hemoglobin disorders lead to excessive production of uric acid in the body.
• Certain drugs, such as thiazide diuretics, low-dose aspirin, niacin, cyclosporine, tuberculosis medications, and others can also cause elevated uric acid levels in the blood
• Sudden changes in diet, obesity and excessive weight gain or loss can also lead to gout.
• A high-purine diet is one of many things that can trigger gout attacks if you already have a high uric acid level.
•

Meats
Beef Organ meats
Pork (such as liverwurst, kidney, and brain)
Lamb Meat-based gravies


Beverage
Beer


Seafood

Vegetables
Spinach Cauliflower
Asparagus Mushrooms


Other
Oatmeal Peas
Dried beans Lentils


Who Gets Gout?
1. Men, especially between the ages of 40 and 50, are more likely to develop gout than women.
2. Most women experience gout after menopause.
3. There may be a genetic link: many people with gout have a family history of the disease.
4. Gout rarely affects children or young adults.
5. People with certain conditions are at a higher risk for gout: These conditions include diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and/or kidney problems.


What are gout symptoms and signs?
• The small joint at the base of the big toe is

the most common site of an acute gout attack of arthritis. Other joints that are commonly affected include the ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows.
• Acute gout attacks are characterized by a rapid onset of pain in the affected joint followed by warmth, swelling, reddish discoloration, and marked tenderness.
• You can develop fever with the acute gout attacks.
• These painful attacks usually subside in hours to days, with or without medication.
• Most patients with gout will experience repeated attacks of arthritis over the years.

What are complications of gout?
Gout can cause joint pain and stiffness and can also lead to chronic progressive damage to joint cartilage and bone. It can also lead to the accumulation of "clumps" of uric acid (tophi) in body tissues that can cause local injury to the body areas affected. Gout can also lead to kidney stones and elevated blood pressure (hypertension).

Prevention
Prevention is an important part of managing gout.
• It''s crucial to control weight and blood pressure
• Drink at least 3 litres of fluid (preferably water) daily, adequate fluid intake decreases the risk of kidney stone formation in patients with gout.
• weight reduction& management and dietary changes,
• Reduction in alcohol consumption,
• Medications to lower the uric acid level in the blood (reduce hyperuricemia).
• Cutting down on dehydrating drinks such as alcohol (beer, wine, etc.), coffee, tea, and cocoa
• Avoid animal proteins such as seafood, liver, kidney, heart, gizzard, breads, meat extracts, and gravy
• Eat vegetables such as peas, beans, spinach, and lentils
• With early diagnosis and treatment, it''s possible to control gout, prevent joint damage, and live a normal life.

Gout diet
Dietary changes can help reduce uric acid levels in the blood. Since purine chemicals are converted by the body into uric acid, purine-rich foods are avoided. Examples of foods rich in purines include shellfish and organ meats such as liver, brains, kidneys, and sweetbreads. Researchers have reported, in general, that meat or seafood consumption increases the risk of gout attacks, while dairy food consumption seemed to reduce the risk. Total alcohol intake was strongly associated with an increased risk of gout (beer and liquor were particularly strong factors). Fructose from the corn syrup in soft drinks also increases the risk of gout. It should be noted that even the best diet that avoids foods and beverages that increase the risk of gout will only lower blood uric acid level by a negligible amounts
Weight reduction can be helpful in lowering the risk of recurrent attacks of gout. This is best accomplished by reducing dietary fat and calorie intake, combined with a regular aerobic exercise program.
Low-Purine Foods

Breads and Grains
Breads Pasta
Grains Rice
Cereals


Beverages
Carbonated drinks
Coffee
Milk and milk products


Vegetables
Tomatoes
Some types of green vegetables


Other
Fruits Cheese
Olives Chocolate
Eggs Sugar


Can gout be prevented?
By adjusting the diet according to the recommendations above as well as maintaining a healthy body weight and adequate hydration, the risks of recurrent attacks can be reduced. Also, medications that can elevate the blood uric acid and cause hyperuricemia should be avoided when possible.
It should be noted that for many people with gout the influence of an optimal diet is not adequate. Fortunately, medications that aggressively lower the blood uric acid level can be used to prevent gouty arthritis.

Remember this can easily be controlled through regular exercise and physical activity- that’s my prescription. Get active and manage gout, arthritis, diabetis etc.

Regards

Renson

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