Gout Home Remedies

I come from a family in which 3 of my members have had gout attacks in the past. In other words, gout prevention is something that I consider very important in regards to overall health and happiness in life. My last gout attack was over 3 years ago and I have managed to prevent gout largely due to a lifestyle change. In this hub, I intend to show you some natural ways to prevent gout attacks and some of the methods I used to relieve the pain that gout causes.

Understanding Gout...What is Gout?

Gout is nothing more than a form of arthritis called metabolic arthritis. The reason that it is called this is because gout is caused by uric acid which happens to be a by product of an enzyme that is used to break down protein. Uric acid occurs naturally but there are some who believe that gout can be aggravated by certain foods that are high in purines.

Here is what happens-

• You eat dinner.
• Your body starts to produce enzymes to help break down the food to be digested.
• The enzymes create uric acid, a by-product that occurs while the enzymes are at work.
• Normally, this uric acid is simply eliminated via the kidneys and you urinate it out.
• However, when too much uric acid is created, there is no way to eliminate or process it.
• This results with the uric acid entering the bloodstream rather than be naturally eliminated.
• Once the uric acid is in the blood stream, it winds up in the soft tissues around the joints.
  
• It crystalizes into needle shaped molecules which are painful to the touch and will make the joints inflamed and sometimes even hot to the touch.

How to Stop a Gout Attack

Since we have deduced that gout attacks happen because our bodies are either producing too much uric acid OR our body is not eliminating it properly, the goal when a gout attack happens is to remove the excess uric acid from our body.

...and this is where this hub page actually begins....

You will know when you have a gout attack. It is likely to wake you up in the middle of the night. It is very painful and if it strikes the big toe or foot (which is very likely), you will have a hard time walking.

Usually, this results in a trip to the doctor in which he is likely to prescribe you either steroids or Prednisone. The problem with this is that doctors rarely address preventative measures (other than watch what you eat) and just give a quick remedy to gout. This is no good. What this means is that you are being set up for future gout attacks.

Here is how to treat a gout attack naturally without a visit to the doctor....

Detoxify your body. We want to first try to get our uric acid levels under control. This can be done many ways but what worked for me was to incorporate a 3 day juice fast to speed up recovery.

The good news is that the pain you feel when you are having a gout attack will make you NOT want to eat. I am not sure why this is the case but I think that this is your body's natural way to try to curb uric acid levels.

You will refrain from eating solid food for 3 days and instead opt for fresh berry juices (such as cherry juice) as well as green juices (think wheatgrass, chlorella, ect.) and lots of fresh water. The cherry juice will help to neutralize the uric acid. The wheatgrass and chlorella will help your kidneys process the toxins quickly. The water will help with eliminating the uric acid from your body.  Cherry juice for gout is perhaps the best home remedy for treating this problem.

After 3 days are up, you will want to return to solid foods BUT you will restrict yourself to raw fruits and vegetables until you are feeling better. In most cases, this will be in a couple days.

Okay, you are now clear of toxins....now what?

Gout is painful.  I don't know what else to say about it but I will tell you this;  most people who have had to deal with gout pain will tell you that it feels a lot like walking on glass.  Any movement in the affected area will result in pain. 

Gout pain is caused by inflammation.  So, if you are suffering from a gout attack, the first step is to eat things that will help reduce inflammation.  Here are some natural herbal remedies to help with gout pain and the inflammation...

1. Quercetin- Quercitin is known for its natural anti-inflammatory effects.  You can take it in pill form but it is just as potent if you eat it naturally.  Foods that are high in Quercetin are capers, brocolli, tomatoes, red grapes, onions and berries.  If you would rather opt for the capsule form, take 500-1,000 mg 3 times daily.
2. Capsiscum (aka cayenne pepper)-  Capsiscum is documented to help relieve pain.  It can come in a cream based ointment that you will apply directly to the gout affected area. It works because it depletes the nerves of substance P, a neurotransmitter that sends pain messages to the brain.
3. Celery Seed Extract- Available at your local health food store, celery seed extract not only will help with inflammation but will also reduce uric acid levels.  This is a wonderful herb all the way around for your body but is significant in reducing pain that gout causes.
4. Fish Oil- Fish oil is not only high in omega 3's and 6's, it also is known to help reduce inflammation in the joints (among other things).  The best way to get this naturally is to eat coldwater fish (which happens to be high in purines but the benefits outweigh the risks).  If you aren't a fish eater, then you can take a daily dosage of fish oil in capsule form or in liquid form.  Just make sure that the product you select has at least 480 EPA and 360 of DHA, as these are the properties that will help reduce inflammation.