A Bout With The Gout

Gout is a disease that has tormented people for centuries.

Among those who have suffered from this painful disorder are such notable individuals as Thomas Jefferson, England's King Henry VIII, the English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Benjamin Franklin. If you are caring for an older person with gout or other chronic diseases it will be helpful for both of you to understand the causes of gout and how to prevent future gout attacks.

CAUSES OF GOUT

Gout is a form of arthritis. Gout's intense pain is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the joints, most often the big toe. It can also affect the ankles, knees, wrists, fingers and other joints. Men are more likely to develop gout than women.

GOUT SYMPTOMS

Gout attacks often occur at night. The unfortunate sufferer awakes suddenly to excruciating pain, redness, and tenderness in joint of his big toe. The pain is worse when the joint is touched. Those suffering an acute gout attack can't even stand the weight of a bed sheet on the affected joint.

GOUT TREATMENTS

When your older parent suffers an attack of gout you can ease his pain and reduce swelling with over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin, Tylenol, Aleve, Motrin and icepacks. If these remedies don't work his doctor can prescribe prescription pain medications and anti-inflammatories. Encourage your parent to rest in bed. Be extra careful to avoid touching or moving the gouty foot. Keep sheets and blankets off it too.

PREVENTING FUTURE GOUT ATTACKS

After one painful bout with the gout your parent will be quite willing to make lifestyle changes to prevent future attacks. Work with him to develop strategies to improve his diet and overall health. Ask his doctor for other strategies for preventing another bout with the gout. Diet plays an important role in gout prevention. Certain foods contain purine and other ingredients that may increase his risk for another gout attack.

Foods your parent should avoid include:

• Alcoholic beverages – especially beer
• Liver and other organ meats
• Gravies
• Yeast products
• Certain seafood like sardines, herring, mackerel, scallops

• Fish
• Poultry
• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Whole-grain breads and cereals
• Eggs

• Loosing weight
• Controlling diabetes and high blood pressure
• Avoiding alcoholic drinks
• Drinking lots of water
• Increasing physical activity
• Reducing salt intake

A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

Making major lifestyle changes at any age can be difficult. It's a big challenge for caregivers to encourage older relatives to follow "doctor's orders." However after one bout with the gout your older parent will be anxious to prevent future attacks. As a caregiver you can work with him to develop health habits that will not only reduce his risk for a gout recurrence but improve his overall health too.