"Ouch ! That hurts ! What’s that? Gout??" I have never heard of this term until a few months back when my husband was diagnosed with this condition. One particular morning, not so long ago, my hubby complained of a throbbing pain under his heel when he tried to get off the bed. Thinking it was due to fatigue from the previous day’s spring cleaning, he rubbed some ointment and got about his days’ schedule. Howsoever the pain was too stubborn to go away. That is when he decided to seek medical help. Since we had never heard of this condition before, I began to collect information from the internet. And thank God! There were a whole lot of data available for gout and gouty patients.
Gout is a medical condition typically distinguished by the recurring attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis, tender and hot swollen joints. It is caused by raised levels of uric acid in the blood which crystallize and is deposited in joints and in surrounding tissues.Gout is one form of arthritis which can be triggered by certain types of food and also which can be reduced by avoiding those particular food from the diet.
Both dietary changes and medications can decrease uric acid levels. Once the acute attack has sinked,levels of uric acid can be brought down through lifestyle alterations.Reducing intake of food such as meat and seafood and certain vegetables with are high in purines and proteins also helps.
To help us understand this condition better, my husband was given a chart from the hospital with a list of food that he should eliminate from his diet. I have attached it to the kitchen door for quick reference. I run through the list everyday before preparing our daily meals.
