I have decided to do a short write up about this disease ‘Gout’ especially after i experienced it first hand myself. Seriously when i get to know that i gotten this, i was stunned because i thought that i have always been more healthy conscious compared to my other friends. Well apparently it doesn’t seem to be the case. In any case, i think it is a good thing also because it highlighted to me the fact that it is important to watch what i intake into our body.
Let me share with you guys what is this condition called Gout is all about:
Gout is a disease that results when crystals of uric acid form in tissues of the body. Gout is characterized by an overload of uric acid in the body and recurring attacks of joint inflammation (arthritis). Chronic gout can lead not only arthritis, but hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints, decreased kidney function, and kidney stones. Gouty arthritis is usually an extremely painful attack with a rapid onset of joint inflammation. The inflammation is precipitated by the deposition of uric acid crystals in the lining of the joint (synovial lining) and the fluid within the joint. Intense joint inflammation occurs when white blood cells engulf the crystals of uric acid and release chemicals that promote inflammation. The resulting inflammation causes pain, heat, and redness of the joint.
The first symptom of gouty arthritis is typically the sudden onset of a hot, red, swollen joint. The most common joint involved is at the base of the big toe, but almost any joint can be involved. In some people, the acute pain is so intense that even a bed sheet on the toe causes severe pain. Acute gouty arthritis at the base of the big toe is referred to as podagra.
Even without treatment, the first attacks stop spontaneously after one to two weeks. While the pain and swelling completely go away, gouty arthritis commonly returns in the same joint or in another joint.
This is how my toe looks like now -_- Red and swollen
Painful attacks of gout are brought on by drinking alcohol or eating foods high in purine. Fifty perent of the uric acid in your body comes from the food you eat, the other 50% comes from sources within the body.
General guidelines for gout are as follows:
- Restrict meat/fish/poultry intake to 180 grams per day;
- Avoid alcohol;
- Lose weight if overweight;
- Exercise regularly;
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day;
- Eat plenty of fruits & vegetables (except the ones listed below)
- Have more starchy foods like rice, bread, noodles, etc. to fill you up;
- Restrict foods high in purine:
- Organ meats such as liver, kidney, heart, brain, etc.
- Selected fish and shellfish ie. ikan bilis, sardines, mackerel (including selar, tenggiri & kembong), herring, salmon, fish roe, cockles and mussels
- Meat & yeast extracts such as Bovril, Marmite, Vegemite, essence of chicken, brewer’s and baker’s yeast
- Meat soups & stock cubes especially Bak Kut Teh
- Game meat ie. venison, black chicken, pigeon, goose, etc.
- Beans & lentils such as tofu, soya bean, bean fillings, etc.
- Selected vegetables ie. spinach, rhubarb, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms & peas
- Strawberry, strawberry jam, durian, tomato & tomato products.
Okay! That should be all for the short educational infor about this disease. Hope every one who reads this will start to take note of the food that you eat every day. Remember once you discover you have any illness, it maybe too late for you to start any new diet. So prevention is still the best!