Gout also known as Podagra, Rheumatism, recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis a red, tender, hot, swollen joint, sandhivat (Marathi), gouty arthritis (Scientific), Gathiya (Hindi/Urdu), Kilvatam (Tamil), Guanjie yan (Chinese), artritis (Spanish), artrite (Portuguese), Bata (Bengali), artrit (Russian). Gout refers to a certain form of inflammation of the joints and swellings of a recurrent type. Although chronic in character, it breaks in acute attacks. Women, after menopause, are also sometimes affected by this disease. Gout was known to the physicians of ancient Greece and Rome. An attack of gout is usually accompanied by acute pain in the big toe, which becomes tender, hot and swollen in a few hours. Usually, it is almost impossible to put any weight on the affected foot during the acute stage of the disease. It may also similarly affect other joints such as the knees, and the wrists, and sometimes more than one joint may be affected at a time. The attack usually occurs at midnight or in the early hours of the morning, when the patient is suddenly awakened. The acute attack generally lasts for a week or so. During this period the patient may run a slight fever, and feel disinclined to eat. His general health generally remains unaffected.
The attack may occur again after several weeks or months. The interval becomes shorter if the disease is not treated properly. The joint generally becomes damaged by arthritis. This is chronic gout, in which chalky lumps of uric acid crystals remain in the joint and also form under the skin. Another serious complication of gout is kidney stones containing uric acid, causing severe colic pains in the stomach. The main cause of gout is the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints, skin and kidneys. Uric acid is an end product of the body’s chemical processes. Those affected by gout have a higher level of uric acid than the normal, due either to the formation of increased or reduced amounts of acid being passed out by the kidneys in the urine. This uric acid usually remains dissolved in the blood. But when the blood becomes too full of it, the uric acid forms needle shaped crystals in the joints which bring about attacks of gout.
Gout Attacks Home Remedies
- Gout Treatment With Garlic: Take 5 cloves of garlic and soak them in water overnight. Grind in the morning along with same water, strain the water, drink it. Continue the same for week. For second week repeat the procedure with 7 garlic cloves and in third week repeat with 10 garlic cloves. Stop the procedure after 3 weeks and take a week break. Start over again for next 3 weeks.
- Massage with sesame seed oil regularly. Mix mustard seed, carom seeds, garlic and dry ginger in oil while warming oil. This is good for rheumatism.
- Take 7-8 Indian gooseberries. Dry them under sunlight and grind in fine powder. Mix equal amount of jiggery as that of gooseberry powder and half amount of dry ginger powder. Mix well and make small balls with it. Each ball can be made with approximately 1 tea spoon of mixture. Eat 1-1 ball everyday twice a day.
- Gout knee pain relief: For gout knee pain, levigate Neem tree (Indian Lilac) bark with water to form a paste. Apply this paste on knee to get pain relief.
- Dry roast 500gms of fenugreek seeds. Grind it in fine powder. Roast this powder with small amount of ghee (homemade clarified butter). Make a sugar syrup with 1500gms of sugar and mix it with fenugreek seeds powder. Make a small balls (approximately 1 teaspoon of mixture in each ball) with it. Eat 1 ball everyday morning with empty stomach.
- For joint pain: Bay leaf tree trunk skin is helpful for gout pain. Grind bay leaf tree bark in powder and make paste with water. Apply this paste on joints for pain relief. OR Boil water in pan. Add 7-8 bay leaves in it. Boil for few minutes. Strain the water and drink.
- Mix coconut oil and camphor. Massage gently on joints for pain relief.
- Fresh vegetable juices are also helpful. Mix carrot juice, beet root juice and cucumber juice in 2:1:1 proportion. Drink everyday.
- Bring down the acute inflammation with a compress made of crushed cabbage leaf. Keep a few frozen cabbage leaves in a plastic bag in the freezer. When gout strikes, take them out, arrange them around the affected area, wrap a towel around them.
- Pickled budrock root is very tasty preparation of budrock root. Wash the root and cut into small rounds. Simmer in water until soft. Strain and put into a clean jar. Pour hot cider vinegar over the root. As a tonic, chew a piece first thing every morning. As a digestive, chew a piece 20 minutes before your meals. Budrock root is good blood cleanser.
- Cherry for gout: Cherry is very useful for gout. Eat fresh 20-25 cherries everyday.
- A decoction of walnut leaves is an effective remedy for gout and purifying the blood. Add a handful of leaves to 1 liter of water, bring to the boil, cover and gently simmer for 12 minutes. Drink 2 – 3 cups daily. Sweeten with honey if desired.
- Juniper berries are another folk remedy used for the treatment of gout and rheumatism. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of freshly crushed, dried juniper berries to 1 cup of water, bring to a gentle boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Drink one cup morning and evening. Caution: Do not use juniper berries when pregnant.
- Control Uric Acid: Gout is an acute disease of the joints. It is caused by the deposition of chalky crystals around the joints, tendons, and other body tissues when there is an abnormally high level of uric acid in the body. Lemon contains citric acid, which helps to dissolve this uric acid. Add 1/2 lemon juice to one cup of water. Drink this twice a day.
- For Rheumatism: Celeriac is useful for gout and rheumatism. Chop up two bulbs cover with water and bring to the boil, cover and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Drink the cooled decoction throughout the day.
- It is purported that Celery Seed keeps uric acid below critical levels. Try taking two to four tablets of celery seed extract daily.
Diet Tips to Prevent Gout Attacks
- Asparagus is high in purines, and anyone suffering from gout should avoid it.
- Cucumber juice, drunk daily, may help to control arthritis, and gout.
- Eat raw apples regularly, as a detoxificant, for gout and rheumatism.
- Eat dates regularly.