Gout is notoriously known as "the disease of kings and the king of diseases". It is a very painful and distressful hereditary metabolic rheumatic disease that results from deposits of needle-like crystals of uric acid in connective tissue or in the joint space between two bones. Uric acid is a waste product that naturally occurs in the body from the breakdown of protein substances called purines that are found in our diets. Eating of rich foods like cream sauces, red wine, brandy and red meat can deposit more uric acid into the bloodstream than the kidneys are capable of filtering. Usually, uric acid is dissolved in the blood and passed all the way through the kidneys into the urine, where it is removed. If the body raises its output of uric acid or if the kidneys do not get rid of an adequate amount of uric acid from the body, a level of it goes up in the blood. This condition is known as hyperuricemia. Humans are one of only three mammals that lack a digestive enzyme called uricase. Uricase oxidizes insoluble uric acid into a highly soluble compound enabling the uric acid to be driven out from the body in a natural way. Hyperuricemia also may be caused when an individual eats a lot of high-purine foods such as- dried beans, peas, anchovies, liver and gravies. The extra crystals assemble in the joint spaces, resulting in inflammation. Deposits of uric acid, known as tophi, become noticeable as lumps under the skin around the joints and causes pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints. In addition, uric acid crystals can accumulate in the kidneys or urinary tract and can be reason of kidney stones.

For several people, gout at first has an effect on the joints in the big toe. It also can have an effect on the ankles, instep, heels, feet, hands, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. The first symptoms of gout in many cases occur in the middle of the night or upon rising in the morning and in such a situation moving the body joints, standing or wearing shoes may be hard and painful.

Gout accounts for about 5% of all cases of arthritis and affects mostly men. Some surveys have shown it to be present in up to 10% of adult males. It is very rare in women until after the menopause when it is fairly frequently seen.

Long-term drug treatment may be used to decrease the risk of future gout attacks. Treatment aimed at normalizing uric acid levels in the blood may be thought over carefully for individuals who have had multiple gout attacks or have developed tophi or kidney stones. Once started the medications may require to be used for long-term treatment of gout. Medicines often used for treatment of acute gout attacks and to provide relief, after the onset of the attack or prevention of reoccurrence of gout are indomethacin (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), colchicines (it is used to alleviate attacks), probenecid and allopurinol (inhibits uric acid synthesis). Aspirin and aspirin-containing drugs should be avoided during acute attacks. With help of right treatment, gout can be well managed in almost all the cases.

Research data reveals that gout victims, who participate in their own care, feel less pain as well as enjoy a better quality of life. Self-management techniques of gout include relaxation and stress management, eating well-balanced meals, exercise programs, and maintaining appropriate weight,

looking after of joints and using supportive apparatus to relax joints and ease pressure. If attacks ofgout continue in spite of medical treatment, or if there are disproportionate deposits of gouty crystals within a joint, or if gout brings recurrent uneasiness, surgical treatment may be essential to get rid of the crystals and correct the joint. Failure to consider surgery when it is desirable may cause everlasting damage to the joint.

Uricacin has been VERY effective in reducing uric acid build up, which in turn removes gout pain. This popular product has seen great results in men and women.

You can purchase this product at http://www.bod-eshop.com

A number of risk factors are likely contributors to gout:

• Traumatic Actions: Acute gout may be precipitated by actions such as surgery, trauma or heart attacks.
• Heredity: More than 15% percent of people with gout have a family history of the disease. A family history of gout is common for those who develop it. This may be a consequence of inherited susceptibility or ecological factors.
• Foods: Eating too many foods rich in purines like seafood, liver and beverages such as coffee and tea may can cause or aggravate gout in some people.
• Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can lead to hyperuricemia as it obstructs with the removal of uric acid from the body.
• Medicine: Use of some medications, such as certain diuretics (which are taken to eliminate excess fluid from the body in conditions like hypertension, edema, and heart disease, and which reduce the amount of uric acid passed in the urine), mainly those used to treat high blood pressure can trigger a gout attack.
• Gender and Age: Gender and age are linked to the risk of developing gout. Adult men, particularly those between the ages of forty and fifty, are more likely to develop gout than women. Women experience gout later - usually between the ages of fifty and seventy. It is uncommon in children and young adults.
• Health: People who are overweight enhance the danger of developing hyperuricemia and gout as there is more tissue available for turnover or breakdown, which cause surplus uric acid production.

A number of risk factors are likely contributors to gout:

• Inflammation, swelling, redness and warmth over the joint, most commonly the big toe.
• Gout attacks occur rapidly rather than slowly and normally occur in only one joint at a time.
• The affected person also may experience fever, chills and fatigue.
• Many gout victims say they first became aware of pain in the middle of the night or upon getting up in the morning.
• Gout attacks may last a few days to a few weeks and generally there are long periods between attacks.
• The pain characteristically lasts 5 to 10 days. The pain subsides steadily over 6-10 days before becoming normal and pain-free.

1. Asymptomatic hyperuricemia: The patient may have high levels of uric acid in the blood but no other symptoms. Usually, no treatment is required in this stage.
2. Acute gout: Deposits of uric acid crystals in joints caused by hyperuricemia leads to a sudden attack of intense pain and swelling in the joints.
3. Inter-critical gout: A period between acute attacks when a person does not have any symptoms and has normal joint functions.
4. Chronic tophaceous gout: In this phase, the disease may cause lasting harm to the affected joints. With proper treatment, most individuals with gout do not reach to this later stage.

There is no reliable method to prevent gout. Nevertheless, if gout is diagnosed in early stage of its occurrence, the disabling impact of gout can be prevented or minimized with the help of proper diet, limitation or avoidance of red meat, shellfish, meat extracts, beverages and alcohol (red wine, bear and brandy), intake of plenty of oral fluids, by losing weight if a person is overweight and use of medications like probenecid (Benemid) and allopurinol (Zyloprim, Aloprim), which are taken every day to slow the output and speed removal of uric acid. If an individual has a personal or family history of gout, regular examinations by a podiatric surgeon also will lessen the possibility of an attack of gout in future.

In view of the fact that several other kinds of arthritis can imitate a gout attack, and as treatment is specific to gout, it becomes very important to diagnose the disease appropriately. The diagnosis of gout is dependent upon individual and family history and examination by a physician or rheumatologist. The perfect way to diagnose gout is to examine the joint fluid for uric acid crystals. This is done by drawing fluid from the joint using a syringe and needle and examining it under a special polarized microscope check for uric acid crystals. X-rays may also be done to look for unusual changes in bones and joints. The doctor also may carry out blood tests to determine uric acid levels in the body of an individual with complaint or symptoms associated with gout.

While medical treatment is presently considered the most effective way of managing gout, diet and lifestyle changes are equally important to effectively cure a serious attack of gout. Lifestyle changes may not cure gout completely, but they can surely help treat it. The following steps may help relieve or prevent symptoms of gout:

1. Lose your excess body weight. It will reduce the extra weight on your body joints. Losing weight will also reduce uric acid levels. Stay away from fasting or quick weight loss since doing so may momentarily increase uric acid levels.
2. Avoid liquor or alcoholic beverages. If you are a gout patient, it's best to avoid alcohol totally. Consumption of alcohol may slow down excretion of uric acid, which may lead to its accumulation in the body and result in attack of gout.
3. Some foods like fish, meat, poultry products like eggs and chicken, beans, peas, spinach, oatmeal, baked goods, bread, mushrooms, asparagus, cauliflower are best avoided by the persons who suffer from gout attacks, as these foods contain purines. Maintain a vegetarian diet based on fresh vegetables, raw fruits, nuts and whole grains.
4. Drink a lot of oral fluids as it help to dilute uric acid in available in your blood and urine. Take celery and fruit juice as they are also very good for human body.