What is Gout?

What is Gout?
Gout is a form of arthritis caused by excess uric acid in the bloodstream. The symptoms of gout are due to the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints and the body's response to them and it's painful response.


What is the sign of gout?
Intense joint pain. Gout usually affects the large joint of your big toe, but it can occur in any joint. Other commonly affected joints include the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers. The pain is likely to be most severe within the first four to 12 hours after it begins.


What are the gout triggering food?
Foods that are high in a substance called purines can raise the uric acid level in your blood. This includes organ meats like liver and red meat, seafood like sardines, shrimp,lobster,anchovies, mussels, and salmon; and even some vegetables such as spinach & tomato.Other than that,refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, pasta, sugar),
processed foods (chips, snack foods, frozen dinners),
sugary beverages.
In term of alcohol,(If you drink, limit it to no more than one alcoholic drink for women and two for men within 24 hours.).


Food that helps to lower Uric Acid-
A part from the medicines which you should get from your doctor,
-Skim milk
-Low-fat dairy products (yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese)
-Whole-grain products (look for the Whole Grain stamp or check product labels for ingredients such as “whole wheat flour.”)
-Plant oils (olive, canola, sunflower)
-Vegetables 
-Cherries
-Vitamin C supplements (One study showed that 500 mg or more per day decreased gout incidence in men.)
-Coffee (if you drink it)
Coffee Lowers Gout Risk.The more coffee men drink, the lower their risk of gout. At least four cups a day lower gout risk by 40%, a Canada/U.S. study shows. Drinking one to three cups of coffee a day lowered gout risk by only 8%.
-Water.It's important to drink enough water during a gout attack.If you can maintain the natural alkaline balance in the body,it makes the uric acid more soluble and easier to flush out of the kidneys. 
-Limit purine-rich foods. You can limit the source of uric acid in your diet.
-Lose weight. ...
-Balance insulin levels. ...
-Add more fiber to your diet.

Can you eat eggs?
Eggs are low in purines, but limit consumption to 2 to 3 a week because eggs contain high cholesterol. Essential fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as tuna can reduce gout inflammation. However, to prevent a gout flare-up, limit the intake of fish to one serving per day as it still contains purines.


Can gout kill you?
Truth is gout can't kill you directly, but it can cause serious health problems that may eventually kill you.lf gout is untreated, you can develop clumps of uric acid crystals called tophi, which can become infected and life threatening.