According to reports made by researchers, approximately 8.3 million Americans were subject to attacks of gout by 2008.  This figure corresponds to 3.9 percent of the adult population in the United States.  That is a significant increase from the prevalence rate of 2.7 percent observed in the later part of the 80s to the early 90s.

This shows that the number of Americans who are struggling with the painful and sometimes debilitating effects of gout continues to rise. In fact gout attacks have continued its upward trend even into the new century.

Gout happens when uric acid accumulates inside the body which causes crystals to form in the joint area and other surrounding tissues.  The inflammatory reaction brought about by the formation of these crystals causes severe pain, joint swelling, redness and heat.  Gout attacks have the tendency to reappear, commonly affecting joints such as the big toe, ankle and knee joints.

How to Further Prevent Gout Attacks

If you have been diagnosed with gout, there are things that you can do in order to prevent the recurrence of gout attacks. Here are some simple ways:

• Lose weight

  If you are a bit on the heavy side, try to lose those excess pounds.  Losing weight will help lower the levels of uric acid inside your body.  Keep in mind not to indulge in high-protein diets or those requiring you to starve yourself.

• Avoid High-Purine Foods

  Remember to choose what you eat.  Eating high-purine foods will only increase your chances of having to go through that painful episode of gout attack.  Do away with seafood, lamb, bacon, pork, beef, kidneys and liver. Also, avoid foods containing significant amounts of yeast like bread and beer.

• Go slow on the Alcohol

  If you are a heavy alcohol or sugar-sweetened soda drinker, it is time to cut down on your drinking.  For alcohol drinkers, it is not required that you stop cold-turkey.  Remember to drink in moderation.

• Consult with your Doctor

  Some pharmaceutical drugs cause gout attacks.  Check with your doctor and ask him to prescribe a safer, natural way to treat your condition.

• Eat Cherries

  The results of a preliminary research hints that people suffering from very painful episodes caused by gout may be able to cut their risk of frequent attacks by half – simply by eating around 20 cherries per day.  These findings support subjective reports made by patients over the years – that eating cherries helps control painful flare-ups brought about by the arthritic condition. However, the study does not establish the condition’s real cause and effect, just the findings that there seems to be a connection between eating a number of cherries and a decreased risk of recurrent gout flare-ups. People diagnosed with gout who consume cherries may share some qualities that cause them to have lesser flare-ups.

  According to Dr. Zhang, in the past, small-scale studies have recommended the use of cherries and cherry products as an effective means to reduce the levels of uric acid and inflammatory processes inside the body. For the recent study, researchers involved made use of the internet in order to recruit 633 participants who have experienced an attack of gout within the past year.  In order to confirm their diagnosis of gout, medical records were used.  All 633 participants were asked to log on after experiencing another gout attack.  They were asked to answer an extensive questionnaire, asking them about different probable factors that may play a part in affecting risk, including their consumption of cherry and cherry extract in the 48 hours before the attack.  They were then asked to answer the same questionnaire, with the same set of questions, three months after being free of attacks.

  The findings of the study revealed that eating two servings of cherries in the past 48 hours was linked to a 50 percent reduction in the risk of having another gout flare-up.  Furthermore, using any amount of cherry extract in the past 48 hours was linked to a 40 percent reduction in the risk of recurrent gout attacks. The researchers said that the credit for the beneficial effects should be given to anthocyanins, a form of antioxidant pigment found in purplish and red vegetables and fruits.  Common sources are purple grapes, raspberries, blueberries, beets, purple cabbage and cherries.  Antioxidants stabilize free radicals, forms of unstable molecules which are known to cause damage and inflammation in tissues and cells found in the body.

How to Deal with the Pain of Gout Attacks

Once gout attack has recurred, the resulting pain is oftentimes severe.  Here are some simple do-it-yourself remedies to help you deal with the pain:

Ice.  Take out an ice pack and apply it on the affected area for 10 minutes.  You may then alternately apply moist-hot towel compress in order to soothe aching joint and numb the pain.

Cayenne Pepper.  Mix a cup of vinegar, a cup of water and 1 tablespoon pepper.  Bring all these into a boil and pat onto the affected joint.  You may also mix cayenne with wintergreen oil to achieve a paste-like consistency.  Proceed to apply to the painful joint.

Apple Cider Vinegar.  For pain in the big toes and in the ankle joint, soak your foot in a concoction of 3 cups of water and half cup of apple cider vinegar.

Castor oil packs.  Immerse a flannel cloth in castor oil.  The oil should be warm. Squeeze out the excess and place the cloth over the painful area.  Cover it with the use of a plastic wrap then proceed to put on a heating pad.  It is recommended that you do this for a period of one hour, two times a day.

Mullein leaves.  Soak the leaves in a mixture of hot water and vinegar and then place the leaves on the painful area.

Spearmint.  Create a poultice made of spearmint leaves and wrap it on the affected joint.

Sources
arthritis.webmd.com
joint-pain.com
health911.com