Gout is a type of arthritic disease that usually occurs when uric acid builds up in and around the joints. It can be acute, which is very painful and affects only one or a few joints, or chronic, which usually consists of consistent episodes of pain and inflammation in one or more joints. When uric acid accumulates in the blood, it causes urate crystals to form around the joints, which is what causes the inflammation and the pain. Increased uric acid levels can be caused by either your body producing too much of it, or your body not being able to excrete it adequately through the kidneys. It can also occur when you eat too much purine -- an organic compound found in food, which, as it is broken down in the body, produces uric acid.
Symptoms
Symptoms of this condition often occur acutely. They usually result in intense joint pain, which normally affects the feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists. Symptoms may also include inflammation, redness, swelling and tenderness of the joints. According to MayoClinic.com, gout also increases a person's risk of infection in those sites.
Treatment
If you are presenting symptoms of gout, your physician will most likely recommend medications that will treat the acute gout attacks, prevent them from occurring again, and stave off complications such as the formation of nodules. Most likely, you will get prescribed medications such as non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), which may help decrease some of the inflammation and pain, and other more powerful pain medications. If the inflammation is severe, your physician will most likely recommend that you take a corticosteroid to reduce the inflammation and pain. There are also medications that reduce uric acid production in the body and medications that increase excretion of uric acid in the kidneys. However, by changing and adapting your diet to include little to no purines, you can reduce the amount of uric acid in your blood, as well. Talk to your dietitian so that she can recommend an individualized diet for you.
What to Eat
If you are trying to follow a low-purine or a purine-free diet, you have to limit your food consumption to only those foods that are low or moderate in purine levels. Most breads, pasta, and rice are usually low in purines. However, limit your oatmeal consumption to less than 2/3 of a cup per day. Other foods that are low or moderate in purines include all low-fat dairy foods, all fruits, eggs, nuts, meat and poultry, dried beans and other legumes, and any meatless soups or vegetables. However, for the legumes and vegetables, implement a limit of no more than ½ to ¾ cup daily.
What to Avoid
Avoid foods high in purine. These include foods and food products like beer and alcohol, gravies and sauces made with meat, and fish or seafood like anchovies, sardines, herring, tuna, scallops, muscles and haddock. Also avoid all organ meats like liver and kidney, and processed meats like bacon, bologna or salami.
