Have you been Diagnosed with Gout?
Are you experiencing gout related pains? Do friends and family brew up questionable remedies or tell you to watch certain star patterns to help cure your pain?
I know the feeling of having an unclear path ahead. My name is Lewis Parker, and I used to have gout myself. The lightest pressure from simply putting weight on the front of my big toe would send me into a baby-like crying fit.
It HURT bad.
Friends and family would naturally try and help. They probably suggested many of the same things that you’ve heard yourself.
Well it’s time to finally dispel truth from myth.
Below are four common gout related myths that you need to know about in order to really understand what goes on in your body. Once we begin to understand the inner workings of gout, can we proceed to an actual solution.
Myth #1: Thinking that Gout is a lifelong illness
I’m shocked every time I hear a concerned person tell me in an almost accepting voice that they have gout “and that’s just life.”
You know what’s another part of life? Getting rid of gout!
I don’t recommend medications because of their harmful side effects, but any doctor will happily prescribe you meds that whilst they may contain your symptoms, they do NOTHING to actually cure your gout.
“Side effects of allopurinol include: numbness/tingling of arms/legs, easy bleeding/bruising, signs of infection (e.g., fever, persistent sore throat), unusual tiredness, signs of kidney problems (such as change in the amount of urine, painful/bloody urination), yellowing eyes/skin, severe stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, dark urine, unusual weight loss, eye pain, vision changes…” – WebMD
Of course to treat the underlying issue requires some changes, which we’ll discuss in just a moment. But the fact of the matter remains that gout is perfectly treatable, and yes fully curable.
So don’t let anyone relegate you to a life sentence with gout. You can win this war!
Myth #2: Believing that Gout is caused by uric acid
This one is a half-truth.
It’s a partial myth because uric acid is responsible for gout, yes. But it’s NOT true that uric acid in the blood equals gout. This is a key difference that helps us understand what the true cause of the issue is.
Did you know that it is perfectly normal for uric acid to be present in the blood? This is true for both healthy and unhealthy individuals.
It’s when the uric acid levels exceed a certain threshold that they become problematic. The general guideline is 6.5 mg/dl, in case you’d like to ask your doctor to run a test for you.
Scientists estimate that once this threshold is crossed for a sustained period of time, uric acid begins to spill over from the blood into the joint cavities, and begin an unhealthy process of accumulating in crystallized form.
This is as bad as it sounds. The good news is that the build-up takes an extremely long time before it causes painful swelling – we’re talking years.
Interestingly, the time of life when gout affects people depends on gender.
For males, the uric acid buildup process begins to happen after puberty, again assuming elevated uric acid levels are present. Because it takes many years to reach critical levels of buildup in the joints, men deal with gout issues in their late 30s or later.
On the other hand, the uric acid crystal build up in the joints tends to occur after menopause in women, meaning it takes them much longer to experience gout related symptoms. It’s not uncommon for a woman to be well into her 60s or 70s before dealing with gout symptoms.
It is important to remember that uric acid is a naturally-present waste product in the body, and your body is more than equipped to deal with it. Gout occurs when something in the body disrupts this status-quo, but thankfully this can be restored by providing the right trigger and the right substances.
Myth #3: Gout only affects the big toe
From the above we understand now that it takes a long time for gout to occur up in the joints. But not all joints are affected equally.
The uric acid crystallization process needs colder temperatures in order to occur. Therefore, it is usually the big toe that is the first to be affected by gout. However, gout can also occur in other joints, particularly those of the fingers and also the elbows.
Gout is considered a type of arthritis. It’s an especially painful type, which can cause swelling and redness around the affected area. However, as we’ve learned from myth one, this is a reversible illness and all it takes is nudging our bodies back to their previous balanced state.
Myth #4: Thinking that eating vegetables and other high purine foods increases uric acid production, leading to gout.
As you now know by now, uric acid buildup is responsible for gout-related pains. There is a misunderstood notion that purines found in vegetables and other healthy foods can turn into uric acid and exacerbate the problem.
It is true that purines can turn to uric acid, but studies have shown that the human body generally doesn’t do this with produce-based purines, except in emergency circumstances. It certainly wouldn’t overproduce uric acid leading to gout. In fact, many of these healthy ingredients are exactly what we use to help reverse gout all naturally.
“Limiting purine-rich vegetables intake for lowering plasma urate may be ineffectual, despite current recommendations” – Journal of Arthritis & Rheumatism
Going on some weird, restrictive diet is NOT the way to get rid of gout effectively.
Disclaimer:The materials and the information contained on this website are provided for general and educational purposes only and do not constitute any legal, medical or other professional advice on any subject matter. None of the information on our videos/website is a substitute for a diagnosis and treatment by your health professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new diet or treatment and with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.
The post 4 DANGEROUS Gout Myths that You Probably Believe appeared first on Natural Health Forever.
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