The victim of gout can very well relate to the pain they are forced to live with. Gout is a type of arthritis that is characterized by severe excruciating pain, burning, tenderness, swelling, stiffness and redness of the joints. Gout can be acute, affecting only one joint or may be a chronic condition affecting more than one joint. The flare up of gout may remain for a few days to weeks.
In comparison to females, the ratio of males suffering from this heart-wrenching disease is more. Gout is one of the oldest and painful arthritis mankind has been suffering since ages. In most of the cases, the big toe is a most common site to be affected first. Other joints that may be affected are the small joints of the wrist, hands, knees, ankles and even ears.
The excess of uric acid that our kidney is unable to flush out of the body is considered to be the cause of gout. Excess of uric acid crystallizes and gets deposited in the joints. This causes inflammation and pain. The possible factors that are known to contribute to the development of gout are an excessive intake of alcohol, excessive stress, excessive intake of proteins, lack of physical activities and heredity.
The treatment of gout includes anti-inflammatory medications to ease the pain and shorten the duration of the attacks. But these conventional medicines can only suppress the symptoms of gout. The symptoms of gout keep on returning again and again. Thus, more than conventional medicines changes in the lifestyle such as a regular exercise regime, low protein diet, and decreased intake of alcohol proves to be helpful in treating gout. In addition to the above modifications if you add certain home remedies for gout to your treatment plan, you will find more relief in the symptoms and also healing will be promoted.
13 Effective Home Remedies for Gout
1. Eat cherries- Cherry contains anthocyanin that very effectively heals the inflammation and alleviates pain and tenderness of the joints. Add a handful (8-10) of cherries to your daily diet. You can take a glass of black cherry juice 3 times in a day. To make the juice more effective add a few garlic cloves to it. Besides cherry other dark colored foods such as blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and purple grapes are equally effective.
2. Keep yourself hydrated– Drinking lots of water is the most effective home remedy for gout. Water flushes out the uric acid from the body before they get a chance to crystallize. So make a habit of drinking a glass of water in every 40 minutes. Other healthy beverages such as coconut water, fruit juice, and lime juice are also equally helpful. But limit their intake from 1 to 2 glasses in a day.
3. Apple cider vinegar – Being acidic in nature, apple cider vinegar has proved itself as an effective solution in treating a number of health issues. Apple cider vinegar is anti-inflammatory. It is known to break the crystals of uric acid and also stops the reformation of uric crystals in the joints.Take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and add it to a glass of water. Drink this solution 3 times daily.
4. Baking soda– Baking soda increases the level of body fluid and blood. It maintains the pH level. This promotes the solubility of the uric acid crystals. This, in turn, promotes the ability of the kidney to flush out uric acid from the body and prevents its crystallization and deposition in the joints. Take half teaspoon of baking soda and mix it in a glass of water. Drink this 3-4 times in a day for about 14 days.
5. Epsom salt– The magnesium sulfate present in the Epsom salt is a very well known compound that alleviates pain. You can also use this home remedy for gout to ease pain and inflammation.Take a tablespoon of Epsom salt and add it to your bathtub filled with lukewarm water. Soak yourself in it for about 20 minutes and you will find immediate relief in ache.
6. Vitamin C rich foods- A study has shown that the increased intake of vitamin C lowers the risk of gout. Also, research shows a reduction in the flare up of gout in the patients who are taking additional 500mg of vitamin C every day. Thus, to reduce the attacks of gout, include vitamin C rich foods such as Indian gooseberries, Guava, oranges, strawberry, red pepper, broccoli, kale and grapefruit in your diet.
7. Turmeric- Turmeric contains curcumin. This compound inhibits the activity of xanthine oxidase. Xanthine oxidase is a compound that is required in the production of uric acid. As the activity of xanthine reduces the production of uric acid is checked. Also, turmeric is anti-inflammatory. Add turmeric to your cooking. You may also take turmeric capsule orally. The recommended dose is 400 to 600 mg 3 times in a day.
8. Alfa-Alfa– Alfa-Alfa decreases the uric acid level in the blood. This prevents the deposition of uric acid in the joints and thus proves to be a very effective natural remedy for gout. Eat Alfa-Alfa sprouts. You can take Alfa-Alfa tablets. The recommended dose is 3000mg per day.
9. Lemon juice– If you are a gout patient drink a glass of lemon juice daily. By alkalizing the body lemon juice neutralizes the uric acid content in the blood. To make it more effective you may also add a half teaspoon of baking soda to lemon juice.
10. Ginger root– The root of ginger possess anti-inflammatory properties that help to ease the symptoms of gout. Take equal quantities of dry ginger, fenugreek seeds, and turmeric powder. Grind them together to make a powder. Take 1 teaspoon of this powder daily with warm water 2 times in a day.
11. Apple– Apple is rich in malic acid that neutralizes uric acid level. Add an apple to your daily diet chart.
12. Banana– Along with Apple also add a banana to your daily diet. It is rich in phosphorous and potassium that converts uric acid crystals into liquid and helps the body to flush it out. Consult your doctor if you have diabetes before adding a banana to your daily diet.
13. Grapes– A handful of grapes every day will balance the alkalinity and neutralize the level of uric acids. If you are a diabetic patient consult your doctor before adding it to your diet.
Besides the above home remedies to prevent gout and make your condition better avoid alcohol and high protein foods such as seafood, meats, shellfish and turkey. Also, limit the intake of caffeine, soda, and sugar.
We hope you find this article helpful if you have any queries do let us know.
