| If you suffer from the condition, then you likely don't | | | | smaller meals throughout the day, and make sure |
| need any additional motivation to treat gout than to | | | | that those meals are low in purines, which will also |
| simply make the pain and discomfort go away. It is a | | | | help to keep your uric acid levels under control. |
| very unpleasant sensation which can cause substantial | | | | More preventative ways to treat gout so that you |
| frustration and inconvenience in your life. However, | | | | will lower your risk of permanent damage to your |
| worse than that is that it can build up to cause | | | | joints includes taking certain prescribed medications. |
| permanent joint damage that will lead you to far | | | | This will help you to relieve attacks when they |
| greater problems later in life, beyond the occasional | | | | happen or prevent them from occurring. Colchicine, |
| gout attack. | | | | for example, is often prescribed to prevent attacks |
| The first step to reducing the chances of permanent | | | | by taking it daily; it also dramatically reduces the |
| joint damage after experiencing gout attacks is to | | | | frequency of the attacks. Non-steroidal |
| treat gout by preventing their occurrence in the first | | | | anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), when taking on a |
| place. This will involve certain life changes which, | | | | daily basis can also help you to reduce the frequency |
| when considering the outcome, are well worth the | | | | of your attacks. |
| alterations in habit. This includes avoiding alcoholic | | | | It is important to know, though, that as important as |
| beverages or eliminating them altogether from your | | | | all of your preventative efforts are, they cannot turn |
| diet. | | | | around damage that has already been done. You |
| It will also mean that you will need to achieve a | | | | should also make your doctor aware of any other |
| healthy body weight and maintain that weight. Any | | | | medications that you may be taking, or any other |
| weight change program you choose should be | | | | health conditions you may have, because drug |
| discussed with your doctor, as you will want to make | | | | conflicts may occur, and preventative drugs can |
| sure it is a gradual process and not an effort to | | | | cause harm to people who are at risk of kidney or |
| starve yourself and drop pounds rapidly. You may | | | | liver disease. |
| even find that the weight loss alone is enough to set | | | | The key to preventing your joints from being |
| your uric acid levels back to the right amounts. | | | | permanently damaged is to achieve a gout diagnosis |
| Furthermore, you will want to talk to your doctor | | | | in time, and to begin to treat gout early. You should |
| about any drugs you are taking, as some drugs are | | | | also look for external factors you've never |
| known to increase the levels of uric acid in your | | | | considered before, such as the climate in which you |
| blood, making it harder to treat gout and making it | | | | live. There are many causes to gout that you may |
| more likely that you will experience an attack. | | | | not know and that your doctor can help you to |
| Keep in mind that you will also want to eat several | | | | recognize. |