Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that causes pain and discomfort, often in your toes, ankles and knees.

If you have gout, you can relieve your symptoms naturally by staying hydrated and eating a balanced diet. It’s also important to make dietary changes to help reduce your purine levels and the likelihood of having a gout flare.

What causes gout?

Gout occurs when your body produces too much uric acid. This acid is a byproduct of when your body breaks down purines found in certain foods.

Excess uric acid forms crystals, which the body can deposit in all tissues. However, the crystals mainly build up in and around your joints, which causes irritation, inflammation and discomfort.

Uric crystals can also form growths or tophi around affected joints.

Gout symptoms

If you have gout, you may experience the following symptoms:

Pain and swelling on one or both of your big toes.

Swelling on other joints like your ankles and knees.

Inflammation in the affected joints and a reddish appearance in the affected area.

Home remedies for gout

You can prevent a flareup by trying some of these home remedies:

Drink plenty of water

If you have gout, you can experience significant swelling and inflammation. One of the ways to reduce your symptoms is by drinking more water and staying hydrated.

Increasing fluid consumption can help trigger your kidneys to release excess fluid, which helps reduce swelling.

It’s best to drink water, but you can also consume other clear fluids like broths and herbal teas. Avoid beverages like alcohol and sodas because they are high in purines.

Limit alcohol intake

According to the Arthritis Foundation, drinking more than two liquor-based drinks or two beers per day increases your risk of gout.

Beer is high in purines, so avoid it if you already have gout.

Avoid high-purine meats

Some meats are full of purines. Avoiding high-purine meats might help reduce your gout symptoms.

The following foods are high in purines:

Anchovies

Bacon

Cod

Haddock

Herring

Mussels

Organ meats, like liver

Sardines

Scallops

Trout

Turkey

Veal

Venison

Exercise regularly

If you are in too much pain to engage in vigorous exercise, you can stay active by going for a walk every morning and evening. Do this regularly to help increase the blood flow through your joints and reduce swelling.

Eat cherries

Cherries are superfoods full of anthocyanins, which are anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce your inflammation flares to a certain extent.

Reduce your sugar intake

The fructose in sugar can flare up the inflammation of affected joints. Avoid snacks and foods high in sugar like cakes, pastries and sugary beverages.

Follow a balanced diet

Following a balanced diet means eating a lot of different nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods that can help lower uric acid levels and reduce your risk of gout flares.

You can also incorporate ginger, coriander and turmeric into your diet because these ingredients have beneficial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help reduce your uric acid levels.

Eat lots of leafy greens

You can benefit from a plant-based diet because a lot of nutritious fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation.

Apply ice to affected joints

Applying a cloth-covered ice pack to the affected joint can help reduce gout-related inflammation. If you are having a bad flare-up, try applying an ice pack or other cold object wrapped in a thin towel for 20 to 30 minutes on the affected area to help relieve pain.

Avoid traveling for long hours

When you travel for several hours, your body is often confined to a single position for a long time. This can hinder the blood circulation to the affected joints, which can cause a flare-up of pain in your ankles and knees.

Gout flares can be painful. Try home remedies like applying ice to affected joints and following a plant-based diet to reduce your symptoms and prevent future flare-ups.

Source:
courtesy of NATURALNEWS

by Zoey Sky

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