To know all about you gout is the first step towards a gout diet that can be of benefit.

Gout is a common form of arthritis being one of the most painful.

Pain often first occurs in the big toe joint or knee, ankle, elbow and other joints.

It occurs when too much uric acid builds up in the body.

The build up of uric acid can lead to:

Sharp uric acid crystal deposits in joints, often in the big toe

Deposits of uric acid (called tophi) that looks like lumps under the skin

Kidney stones from uric acid crystals in the kidneys

For many people, the first attack of gout occurs in the big toe. Often the attack wakes a person from sleep. The toe is very sore, red, warm, and swollen.

A gout attack is sudden and painful with Symptoms that may include swelling, inflammation and a feeling that the joint is very hot; reddish discolouration and tenderness to the touch.

Gout is a disease hallmarked by elevated levels of uric acid in the bloodstream. In this condition, crystals of monosodium urate (MSU) or uric acid are deposited on the articular cartilage of joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues of the foot. It is marked by transient painful attacks of acute arthritis initiated by crystallization of urates within and about the joints and can eventually lead to chronic gouty arthritis and the deposition of masses of urates in joints and other sites, sometimes creating tophi.

Historically, it was known as “The Disease of Kings” or “Rich man’s disease” or ” A Rich man’s Diet’.

You are more likely to have gout if you have one or more of the following:

Have family members with the disease

Are a man

Are overweight

Drink too much alcohol

Eat too many foods rich in purines

Have an enzyme defect that makes it hard for the body to break down purines

Are exposed to lead in the environment

Have had an organ transplant

Use some medicines such as diuretics, aspirin, cyclosporine, or levodopa

Take the vitamin niacin.

To help you understand gout the following simple step will create an insight into gout management:

See your doctor who will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and family history of gout

Doctors use medicines to treat an acute attack of gout.

With your Doctor plan a healthy diet

Talk to your Doctor about what foods cause gout

We are all different in a number of ways and in that only it would be worth investigating:

Alternative Medicine such as

Herbal Teas

Homeopathic remedies

Tea Tree Oil Use

Natural remedies for gout

Herbal pain relief

Research is being carried out on gout looking at most alternatives including the following:

Scientists are studying:

• Which NSAIDs are the most effective treatments for gout
• Optimal dosages of medications for gout
• New medicines that safely lower uric acid in the blood and reduce symptoms
• New therapies that block a chemical called tumor necrosis factor
• Enzymes that break down purines in the body
• The role of foods and certain vitamins
• The role of genetics and environmental factors
• The interactions of cells involved in acute gout attacks.

Gout is under the microscope by the scientist as well as the remedies that appear to work for the individual; the information highway that is looking for the relief for gout is a vast multi lane conglomerate that encompasses every possible field you could think of in order to alleviate gout pain.