How to Prevent Gout Flare Ups Causing You Serious Damage
By: John Cielo
Submitted: 2011-02-01 04:43:44 | Word Count: 575
Gout flare ups is just another way of describing a gout attack. The problem is that once having had your first attack, you are now statistically much more likely to have more gout flare ups. And if these occur frequently there is a real danger of permanent joint damage over time. Kidney problems, such as agonizing kidney stones, are also a distinct possibility.
So a key objective for any gout victim is to figure out how to prevent gout flare ups from occurring. One of the most important issues you need to address is high uric acid which ultimately crystallizes in your joints, producing the symptoms of gout; redness, swelling, heat, stiffness, inflammation and excruciating pain.
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Let's then see why high uric acid actually happens. Your body produces uric acid as part of its natural metabolizing process. But your kidneys usually manage to process it and flush excess uric acid out of your body. But if your kidneys aren't working to their full potential or your body is making too much acid for your kidneys to reasonably handle, then you end up with high uric acid levels in your blood.
So, as somebody who has suffered even just one gout flare up, you need to do all that you can to reduce your uric acid to healthy levels and maintain those levels on a daily basis. This is an important tip on how to prevent gout flare ups from occurring.
You can get drugs to help lower uric acid, but they are a long term solution because they only work to the extent that you are taking them. Plus, they do have some negative side effects that effect many people. But you don't have to worry about things like that because there are a range of natural ways to prevent gout flare ups...
1. Drinking at least 3 litres of water per day helps your kidneys to flush uric acid out of your body. You are also better hydrated, and a well-hydrated body makes it much more difficult for crystals to form in your joints.
2. A favorite home remedy is cherries. They are an excellent choice to help prevent gout flare ups because of their natural powers to help reduce uric acid. Not only that, if you do have a gout attack, they have natural anti-inflammatory properties. Eat 30 to 40 cherries every day to help prevent gout.
3. Move to a low purine diet. Purines are part of your body's metabolizing process that produces uric acid. But they exist in your food as well as your body's chemical make-up. So you need to avoid high-purine foods like; red meat, organ meat, gravy, game, seafood, poultry, dried legumes and yeast products.
By introducing the 3 tips above into your daily routine you can go a long way in preventing gout flare ups from causing you some real problems down the road. But this article can only give you a small 'taste' of what's available. And there other issues that you need to address in order to give yourself the best possible chance of fully preventing recurring gout...
