So, What Exactly is Gout?
Gout is
absolutely not a laughing matter...
Although you
wouldn't think so given all the jibes and jokes you
hear...
Those who
have never suffered the torment of gout have no idea how
crippling it can be.
The trouble
is...
Gout is often
portrayed in a 'less than flattering' light in the media, being
linked to a life of ?excess? and ?self indulgence? - but this is not
the case...
The
cause of your gout is not your fault.
Let me
explain...
Gout is a
disease of the joints, most often linked to a tender, swollen big
toe...
However, any
joint can be affected, but most of the time the feet and ankles bear
the brunt of the pain. The joints become red, swollen, and extremely
sensitive to pressure, making 'getting around'
difficult.
When gout
strikes only one joint is usually effected, but over time, if left
untreated, more and more joints will fall victim...
Gout is
usually linked to a build up of uric acid in the blood, or
hyperuricemia. But during my research I found that it's not
as 'cut and dried' as that.
That's
because many people can have extremely high levels of uric acid in
their body, but not show any symptoms of gout.
Some people
just naturally store high levels of uric acid and there's no cause
for alarm - so long as there is no evidence of gout
forming.
However, it
is true that gout's most likely to form in those who already have
hyperuricemia (high levels of Uric Acid in their blood) and are
carrying a few extra pounds...
The
connection between gout and being overweight has been proven in
various clinical studies.
And for for
those who do get gout in a joint, it means that the uric acid in
your blood has collected and crystallized... Usually causing your
joint to swell up to two or three times it's normal
size.
Even a casual brush
against a sore, gout-ridden toe can result in you suffering
searing agony.
Does This Sound Familiar To You?
Most
often, gout shows up in your big toe.
Usually first
thing in the morning, you'll notice that his toe is considerably
swollen, sometimes more than double or triple its normal
size.
A radiating
pain shoots up your foot if so much as a sheet touches the gouty
joint.
Walking
without support is out of the question.
The joint of
your big toe will be stiff, and the area surrounding it inflamed,
red and hot to touch, suggesting some sort of infection.
These
symptoms will most likely come on overnight, while you slept, and
often without any prior warning at
all.
It's not just
your toes that can be affected, though. Your ankle, knee, wrist, and
fingers can also be impacted. In fact, over time, just about any
joint (and your major organs) can be directly affected by gout.
And
unfortunately, if left untreated
Uric acid crystals can collect in your kidneys over a period
of time to form kidney stones...
These are
something you definately want to avoid ?like the plague?, as they're
debilitatingly painful (and make you pass blood in the
urine).
And not only
that, gout can form white, chalky bumps under the skin - these are
called tophi, which usually effect the hands and ears...
But although
the tophi is ugly, that's not the worse of it - over time as more
and more joints are clogged up, they become damaged
and lead to osteoarthritis.
And finally,
if that was not enough - In a recent study of 9105 men aged between
41 and 63 years it was found that men with gout have a SIGNIFICANTLY
higher chance of dying of a heart attack then men without
gout (European League Against Rheumatism)
So, I
know you'll agree... It's NEVER good to try and ignore your gout
attack - EVER.
Who Gets Gout?
Roughly 2.1
million people in the United States suffer from gout,
according to the National Institute of Health...
And 9 out of
10 of those are men, with most of them diagnosed between the ages of
40 and 50.
But, as women
head into their 60's and enter menopause their incidence
rate of gout increases dramatically.
The condition
is rarer in men and women of "average" weight or in people under 40
years of age...
And given
that the disease is often linked with being overweight and with a
continued build up of uric acid over years, the older a person is
when the first symptoms appear the more mild the condition is likely
to be...
And
not surprisingly, the triggers that cause gout attacks are almost
exactly the same for everyone -
For example,
in a recent survey we carried out, 133 gout sufferers revealed to us
that the food most likely to trigger gout attacks for them was red
meat... followed by beer.
So, Is Gout Treatable
... and Even Preventable?
YES
IT IS.
When gout
sufferers are experiencing acute attacks, doctors usually prescribe
one or more of the expensive drugs: Non-Steroidal
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), Corticosteroids or
Colchicines.
But each of
these drugs, along with being expensive can have harmful
side effects...
Which I'm
sure you'll agree makes the proven natural, low cost methods you'll
learn here much more attractive.
It used to be
said that if you suffered from gout once, you were highly likely to
suffer from it again.
Thankfully,
it doesn't have to be that way...
You can discover everything
you need to know about treating gout safely and quickly ... and
preventing it from ever occurring
again.
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