GOUT (Getting Our Uric Treated)
Gout used to be known as “the disease of kings” back when kings were a thing, due to the health perils associated with a lavish medieval lifestyle, such as overindulgence in fast foods, alcohol, and no exercise at all. Today, it affects around 4% of the population in the US, with added risk to those who have a family history of it.
To provide a brief summary, gout is what happens when an excess of uric acid gets into the joints and solidifies, causing joint pain and inflammation, sometimes accompanied by redness and sharp pain inside the joint. Treatment and prevention of gout generally aim at reducing the levels of uric acid in the body, either through medication, lifestyle changes, or both.
In terms of prevention, a good first step would be a change towards a healthier diet: reducing the number of sweetened drinks, alcoholic beverages (especially beer), red and organ meats. Men are more likely to get gout than women; some may even have a family history of gout, which means they should watch their weight very closely, as obesity is one of the main factors related to high levels of uric acid.
Treating gout with medications is also effective, the idea is to either lower the production of uric acid or increase the expulsion rate of said acid through urine. It goes without saying, but please contact your doctor before attempting any sort of self-medication; still, for educational purposes, I will now list some medications that have been found to be effective in the treatment of gout.
NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) are used to treat inflammation and pain, and most are useful against a sudden attack of gout. Some examples include: Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen), Aleve (naproxen), Indocin (indomethacin), and Celebrex (celecoxib).
Another way to reduce uric acid in the body would be with long-term medication, which has to be taken daily. Some examples are: Probalan (probenecid), Cozaar (losartan) Aloprim, or Zyloprim (allopurinol) Uloric (febuxostat), Zurampic (lesinurad), Krystexxa (pegloticase).
Your doctor will let you know which avenue of treatment would work better for you.
Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201 Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119