The gout is a rheumatic disease that affects between 1% to 2% of a population. It is produced by the formation of urate crystals in the tissues and in the joints. Crystals cause an inflammatory response that usually affects the most distal parts of the body, since they are the coldest areas. For this reason, the foot is the member that is most affected, specifically, the big toe, says the best rheumatologist in Delhi.

Normally, uric acid dissolves in the blood and is excreted in the urine. If blood levels rise, crystals can begin to form in the joints and under the skin, which is known as gout. So, gout is a disorder of metabolism. But…

What are the reasons why we suffer “gout”?

The gout may appear in the foot by two main causes:

• A super production of uric acid.
• The kidney does not correctly eliminate the uric acid that our body secretes.

They usually suffer from adults from the age of 40. The men are more likely, in fact suffer from this problem only 25% of women and the vast majority of menopausal age.

As a curiosity, add that blood uric acid values of 2.4 mg / dl and 6.0 mg / dl (for women) and between 3.4 and 7.0 mg / dl (for men) are considered normal.

SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS

The most frequent symptoms that can indicate that the patient suffers from gout are:

• Appearance of pain in any joint of the foot. This pain appears suddenly. Patients often say phrases like “I went to bed well and have gotten up without being able to walk”, etc.
• Pain increases at night. The pain is usually greater at night since the joints, when at rest, are at a lower temperature.
• The affected area has an unusual appearance. The area is usually hot, red, sometimes inflamed and with a lack of mobility, rigid.

In addition to the symptoms described above, the rheumatologist in Delhi performs various diagnostic tests such as an analytical test to check uric acid levels in the blood. However, it should be noted that, in many cases, when there is a gout attack, the blood levels are fine. For this reason, the expert may take a sample of the liquid from one of the affected areas to verify in the laboratory if it contains uric acid crystals.

CAUSES OF THE GOUT

Some of the pathologies that the patient may suffer, along with certain habits, increase the risk of suffering this ailment. Therefore, there are factors that increase the risk of gout since they raise the level of uric acid. Here are some of them:

• Arterial hypertension.
• Drinking Alcohol.
• Kidney failure, the kidneys do not remove waste well.
• Eating foods rich in purines, since this substance breaks down into uric acid.
• Having relatives with this disease, that is, the genetic factor influences.
• Having hypothyroidism or the thyroid gland with low activity.
• Having a medical problem that causes the cells to reproduce or eliminate faster than usual, such as psoriasis, hemolytic anemia or cancer.
• Taking diuretic medications for high blood pressure or coronary problems.
• Obesity and overweight.

TIPS TO AVOID THE GOUT

The Gout treatment in Delhi can be based on drugs of different nature and involves reducing the pain of gout attacks, help prevent and avoid damage irreversible in the joints. The objective is to decrease uric acid levels in the blood, and for this we leave you with a series of recommendations:

• Make an early diagnosis. For this, it is necessary to go to the arthritis specialist in Delhi to determine the appropriate treatment, since there may be, as we have said, collateral damage at the renal and / or coronary level, with more possibilities of suffering vascular problems that may affect the heart and brain.
• Take care of diet and lifestyle avoiding sedentary lifestyle. It is important to have a diet low in purines and reduced in salt to prevent the kidney from overworking. For this reason, we leave you some dietary recommendations:

We must avoid eating:

• Foods rich in purines such as red meat, sausages, organ meats, blue fish, seafood or cured cheese.
• Vegetables like tomato, asparagus, spinach, and bell pepper.
• Alcohol (including beer) and sugary drinks.
• The salt.

It is positive to eat:

• Fruits like cherries, bananas, apples, lemon and orange.
• Vegetables that contain apigenin such as celery, onion or garlic, among others. Some medicinal plants such as chamomile, horsetail or thyme also contain this substance, so it is advisable to take these teas.
• Drink plenty of water.

SUMMARIZING…

Following these tips will help the patient avoid gout as much as possible. However, you have to take certain information into account when talking about this problem:

• In general, a gout attack usually improves within 5 to 10 days.
• People who have had gout at other times are very likely to have it again after a few months or years. Also, these repeated attacks can last longer and occur more often.
• If left untreated, it is very likely that the gout will advance and cause permanent joint pain, potentially damaging the kidneys.

In case of suffering the symptoms, you are advised to go to a rheumatologist in Delhi. A gout attack is a slight ailment but, in extreme cases, behind all this we could find a major metabolic problem. Furthermore, an early diagnosis with the appropriate solution could avoid more important injuries at the renal and vascular level, and permanent pain in the joints.