One of the worst non-deadly illnesses there is in this world is gout. It rarely inflicts various direct damage. However, the pain, as well as the discomfort that it brings about, are truthfully life-changing. Additionally, the condition is sneaky and may cause attacks that are unexpected by people in unexpected times. Therefore, knowing what it really is and what causes its onset can be essential if you really want to live a healthy and more comfortable life. Good thing you are in this page! In this article, you will get to know what causes gout. So sit back, relax, and read on to this article. I assure you, after reading this article, you will have lots and lots of new knowledge about the condition.
What Causes Gout?
In the actual fact, what causes gout is that, when there is an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood. This particular condition is actually what they refer to as hyperuricemia. The uric acid is actually a waste product, which comes to pass in the event that the body breaks down the chemicals in the cells. These chemicals are known as purines. If the kidneys cannot remove all the extra uric acid via the urine fully, then you may have a problem. That problem that I am talking about is that the uric acid has the tendency to crystallize and become microscopic crystals in the joints or the surrounding tissues. This is what causes gout attacks.
In the event that the affected joint gets inflamed, you will suffer from a lingering pain. Gout attacks may often hit you in the joints in the hands or in the feet as these are the areas where the temperature is way lower than the rest of the body. Typically, it strikes the big toes, yet sometimes it may also attack the fingers, thumbs, ankles, elbows, and the knees. For the reason that the uric acid of men rise during the stage of puberty and stay higher than that of the women thru adulthood, gout happens around 3-4 times more frequent to men than to women. Nevertheless, women are way more prone to gout after their menopausal stage. It is rare that the condition takes place in young adults and in children.
Risk Factors
Some of the factors that may increase the risk of having a gout are typically medical conditions, the genes, as well as the lifestyle that we have. Various medical conditions that may increase the levels of uric acid in the body may include hypertension or high blood pressure. This is the reason why you should ensure that you keep low all the time, and eat foods that may help raise the good cholesterol in the body. Furthermore, having high levels of cholesterol and fat in the bloodstream may wreak havoc on the health.
Moreover, diabetes may increase the risk of developing gout as well. This is the reason why you should watch your intake of sugar and eliminate high fructose products completely from the diet that you have. Not just that, suffering from psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis in the hands, knees, or in the feet may increase the possibility of developing gout.
What causes gout? Diet!
The reason why gout has been rising very fast since the 1970s is diet. Yes, you read it right, diet! This is because we’re eating more and more meat, we’re consuming more and more sugar, and we’re taking more and more refined carbohydrates. In due course, something has to give and the health will start to deteriorate. More than the foods that we eat, water may also be a huge factor. In fact, dehydration may also be one of the causes of gout. this is the reason why you should make sure to always drink a lot of water and stay hydrated.
What causes gout? Medications!
Medications may also be a reason to increase the risk of gout. one of which is the diuretics, which are beneficial in treating high blood pressure. This may trigger gout, just like any other high blood pressure medications. One more is Niacin, which is beneficial I treating cholesterol. This may also be a menace in treating gout as it may increase the risk of the condition.
What you need to do is to watch what you are eating, and follow a specific gout diet. Always be cautious of the things that you do in order to not make your condition worse.
