Gouty Arthritis…Causes, Symptoms and Management
Gout is a condition whereby there is deposit of uric acids in the body as a result of the inability of the kidney to excrete these toxins. It is a hereditary condition in which the kidney manifests an inability to process and excrete wastes from the body such as the uric acids. How do you get gout? When the uric substances are deposited on the joints, the body immune system responds by sending chemicals to fight the perceived foreign substances.
White blood cells and other pathogen-fighting chemicals engulf the area where the uric acids are deposited. This causes inflammation on the joints. The joints become swollen, painful, and sensitive and appear reddish. A burning sensation accompanies the pain. This is what is referred to as gouty arthritis. Therefore, gouty arthritis manifests on the joints such as the elbow, knees, wrists, fingers, and toes.
When uric acids concentrate in the body fluids, this is referred to as hyperuricemia. It is worthy while noting that there is no direct correlation between hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis. Only people with known abnormalities of kidney failure will most likely develop gouty arthritis. This implies that a person may have high concentrations of uric acids in the body but do not develop gouty arthritis.
However, if a person has a high concentration of uric acids in the body and there is a family tendency of having gouty arthritis then the probability is high. When the kidney malfunction has been diagnosed, and there are high concentrations of uric acids in the body, there is also a high probability of developing gouty arthritis.
There are risk actors which are associated with gouty arthritis and include; increase alcohol intake, excess weight loss and malfunction of the kidney. Alcohol has a diuretic effect in the body. It dehydrates the body and thus there is poor excretion of toxins due to lack of water as a medium for wastes transportation.
Water is essential for the detoxification of the body and alcohol only reduces the amount of water in the body which can be used to help excrete uric acids. As a result, uric acid crystals form in the joints leading to arthritis.
Gouty arthritis symptoms differ from other arthritis such as rheumatoid in that gouty arthritis affects only joints and move from one joint to another systematically. Usually, it does not attack more than one joint at the same time. The pain associated with gouty arthritis is so severe that even the slightest movement or touch will induce an unbearable painful sensation. This leads to an extreme discomfort.
In managing gouty arthritis, the patients should reduce alcohol intake. Adequate fluid intake such as water helps in cleansing and detoxifying the body. The uric acids are removed from the body hence reducing the chances of developing gouty arthritis. The patients should also eat purines-low foods.
Purines are the food items from which uric acids are broken down from, and include organ meat such as liver, brain, and kidney. Also purine-rich foods include shell fish and sweetbread. Note that purine rich vegetable food have no impact on the uric acid levels in the body and are not associated with gouty arthritis.
The medication of gouty arthritis is aimed at suppressing the pain, inflammation, uric acid concentrations and enhancing kidney function. Pain relievers are administered to reduce the pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs used to reduce swelling of the joints. Hyperuricemia is controlled so as to reduce the uric acid levels in the body fluids. The kidney is stimulated to perform by administering drugs that enhance kidney excretion. Drugs that reduce the production of uric acids from the purines may be administered too.
White blood cells and other pathogen-fighting chemicals engulf the area where the uric acids are deposited. This causes inflammation on the joints. The joints become swollen, painful, and sensitive and appear reddish. A burning sensation accompanies the pain. This is what is referred to as gouty arthritis. Therefore, gouty arthritis manifests on the joints such as the elbow, knees, wrists, fingers, and toes.
When uric acids concentrate in the body fluids, this is referred to as hyperuricemia. It is worthy while noting that there is no direct correlation between hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis. Only people with known abnormalities of kidney failure will most likely develop gouty arthritis. This implies that a person may have high concentrations of uric acids in the body but do not develop gouty arthritis.
However, if a person has a high concentration of uric acids in the body and there is a family tendency of having gouty arthritis then the probability is high. When the kidney malfunction has been diagnosed, and there are high concentrations of uric acids in the body, there is also a high probability of developing gouty arthritis.
There are risk actors which are associated with gouty arthritis and include; increase alcohol intake, excess weight loss and malfunction of the kidney. Alcohol has a diuretic effect in the body. It dehydrates the body and thus there is poor excretion of toxins due to lack of water as a medium for wastes transportation.
Water is essential for the detoxification of the body and alcohol only reduces the amount of water in the body which can be used to help excrete uric acids. As a result, uric acid crystals form in the joints leading to arthritis.
Gouty arthritis symptoms differ from other arthritis such as rheumatoid in that gouty arthritis affects only joints and move from one joint to another systematically. Usually, it does not attack more than one joint at the same time. The pain associated with gouty arthritis is so severe that even the slightest movement or touch will induce an unbearable painful sensation. This leads to an extreme discomfort.
In managing gouty arthritis, the patients should reduce alcohol intake. Adequate fluid intake such as water helps in cleansing and detoxifying the body. The uric acids are removed from the body hence reducing the chances of developing gouty arthritis. The patients should also eat purines-low foods.
Purines are the food items from which uric acids are broken down from, and include organ meat such as liver, brain, and kidney. Also purine-rich foods include shell fish and sweetbread. Note that purine rich vegetable food have no impact on the uric acid levels in the body and are not associated with gouty arthritis.
The medication of gouty arthritis is aimed at suppressing the pain, inflammation, uric acid concentrations and enhancing kidney function. Pain relievers are administered to reduce the pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs used to reduce swelling of the joints. Hyperuricemia is controlled so as to reduce the uric acid levels in the body fluids. The kidney is stimulated to perform by administering drugs that enhance kidney excretion. Drugs that reduce the production of uric acids from the purines may be administered too.
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