seeking~serenityGout? Really?
First off: Things I wish I knew before I did them: Don’t ever look up gout pictures on Google images! Ahhhh!
EARTH CLINIC INFO AND ALTERNATIVE CURES FOR GOUT
“Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease created by a build up of uric acid. In this condition, monosodium urate or uric acid crystals are deposited on the articular cartilage of joints, tendons and surrounding tissues due to elevated concentrations of uric acid in the blood stream. This provokes an inflammatory reaction of these tissues.Gout is characterized by excruciating, sudden, unexpected, burning pain, as well as swelling, redness, warmness, and stiffness in the affected joint. This occurs commonly in men in their toes but can appear in other parts of the body and affects women too. Low-grade fever may also be present. The patient usually suffers from two sources of pain. The crystals inside the joint cause intense pain whenever the affected area is moved. The inflammation of the tissues around the joint also causes the skin to be swollen, tender and sore if it is even slightly touched. For example, a blanket or even the lightest sheet draping over the affected area could cause extreme pain.”
I woke up this morning with this crazy pain in the large, bottom joint of my right, big toe. Very achey, pressured feeling; walking hurts. I asked my mom if she had ever experienced pain in that area, and she mentioned that maybe it could be gout…I thought she was being facetious, but I also asked my sister amd she said she gets it sometimes too. I have seen the various medication commercials heared at folks suffering with gout…all of the commercials depict usually older men and seldomly women. I had no idea I (ar 23) could have an attack of gout!
I went on both Mayo Clinic amd Earth Clinic amd lookes up general information, as well as remedies. I’m thinking my uric acid may be high for a few different reasons: I had mixed alcoholic drinks (dark pop and liquor) two nights in a row (Sun/Mon), I have been eating a good amount of meat protein, some of that being sliced liver meat (which, Mayo states that organ meats can cause uric acid to rise), and I haven’t been drinking as much water as I should be.
Mayo recommends:
·Low-dose aspirin
·Avoidance of alcohol
·Drink 6-8 cups of liquid a day, with at least half being water
·Eat a moderate amount of protein: fat-free dairy, tofu, eggs and nut butters (I don’t eat dairy (besides goat cheese) or tofu. But eggs and nut butters are a GO.
·Limit daily intake of meat, fish amd poultry to 4-6 oz.
·Coffee, Vitamin C, and dark fruit may help
Earth Clinic recommends:
·Apple Cider Vinegar (of course!!)
·Cherries
·Baking Soda
·Water
·Black Bean Broth (meh)
At noon today (an hour ago), I took a large swig of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar, a tablespoon of molasses (I always take these first two together), and put an ice pack on my foot. Not sure whether icin or heating is better, but numb feels great! Lol. Afterthought: I just looked to see if ice or heat is better…turns out neither is good! Oops. Found HERE: “Avoid icing or heating the area. Unlike other types of pain, gout doesn’t respond well to heat or ice therapy. For instance, the warmth of a heating pad may feel good, but it will also speed up circulation, which will in turn increase inflammation by sending more white blood cells to the joint. On the other hand, crystals form more rapidly in low temperatures, so hold the ice. (By the way, doctors believe that gout tends to strike joints in the hands and feet for this very reason, since body temperatures are lowest in the extremities.)” Guess I won’t be doing that anymore.
I’m going out shopping in a bit and will grab some cherries or organic cherry juice. I have baking soda (without aluminium) and I’m going to take a couple Emergen-C packs today. This sucks. Hopefully it’s gone soon and doesn’t come back. 1 month ago
