There are many factors that facilitate the development of gout, but the actual cause of the disease seems to be the body’s excessive secretion of a substance called uric acid. Uric acid is a residual product that is excreted from the body through urine. The surplus of uric acid inside the body leads to its accumulation in the form of uric crystals. These crystals deposit in different regions of the organism, causing inflammation. Gout mainly affects joints, especially those of the lower body limbs. Gout causes inflammation, swelling and intense pain of the affected areas.
Although the disease can be corrected through an appropriate gout treatment, there is no specific cure for it. Many medicines prescribed for gout usually control its symptoms, rather than the actual causes. However, some of the causes of gout can be overcome through the means of a good, healthy diet. It is very important to reduce the consumption of alcohol when suffering from gout, as it interferes with renal activity. Smoking is known to cause damage to arteries and it can also slow down the process of healing.
Gout usually involves intense pain of the joints. Pain episodes tend to become more intense during the night and sometimes people with gout have trouble sleeping. Although some medicines don’t prevent pain attacks from reoccurring, they are effective for temporarily reducing it. Common medicines prescribed in gout treatments are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, ketoprofen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen). They are efficient in calming the inflammation and also ameliorate the pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs are usually well-tolerated by the body. They are administered orally, in the quantities prescribed by the doctor.
Another substance used in gout treatment is Colchicine. Although it considerably reduces pain and discomfort of the regions affected by gout, it also has a lot of side effects. Due to this fact, Colchicine is only administered to patients suffering from acute gout or to those who don’t respond well to gout treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Corticosteroids are also used in some gout treatments. They quickly relief the pain and they can usually be injected directly into the affected joint. However, they are used only in extreme cases, due to their multiple side effects.
Although proper diet and drinking larger quantities of water are a natural way of getting rid of the surplus of uric acid from the body, some medicines can also help to normalize the levels of the substance. Such medicines are usually used in chronic gout treatment. Allopurinol is an inhibitor that decreases the quantities of uric acid secreted by the body. Uricosuric Agents like probenecid and sulfinpyrazone improve the activity of the kidneys, aiding the process of excretion.
Many symptoms of gout can be ameliorated by following an appropriate gout treatment. However, when suffering from chronic forms of gout the symptoms reappear after certain periods of time and ongoing treatment is necessary.
