Gout is a disease associated with metabolic disorders, leading to an increase in the level of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia), deposition of uric acid crystals in tissues and inflammation in the joints developing in connection with this.
BRIEF INFORMATION FOR THE PATIENT ABOUT HOW GOUT DEVELOPES
Uric acid is a product of protein metabolism in the human body. Normally, it is excreted by the kidneys. In gout, uric acid is either produced in excess by the liver or is not excreted by the kidneys. As a result, large amounts of uric acid begin to circulate in the blood (hyperuricemia). In some people with hyperuricemia (predisposed individuals), uric acid crystals form and deposit in the tissues, leading to inflammation. Most often, crystals are deposited in the cavities of the joints, but they are also detected in the tissues of the kidneys, heart, blood vessels, stomach, intestines, and even in the chambers of the eye.
Diet for gout
Dietitians have specially developed a diet - TABLE No. 6. It excludes the intake of foods containing large amounts of purines and limits the intake of salt and fat. Drinking plenty of, mostly alkaline, fluids is recommended. It should be noted that completely eliminating salt from the diet (salt-free diet) leads to an increase in the level of uric acid in the blood.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! TABLE No. 6 is prescribed to patients with gout who have normal body weight. If you are overweight, you need to limit your intake of carbohydrates and fats.
It is recommended to eat in small portions, and not to overeat, especially at night.
Can:
All types of fish, including cod, haddock, flounder, herring, mackerel, sardine, tuna, salmon (smoked and salted fish are not recommended).
Dairy products: cottage cheese, skim or 0.5% fat milk, low-fat cheeses.
Boiled meat 2 times a week (low-fat varieties: turkey, chicken, veal, game, rabbit, young lamb). Preference should be given to long-cooked meat, because... purines are boiled down.
Wholemeal bread, breakfast cereal, porridge, durum wheat pasta, rice.
- Vegetable soups (vegetarian!).
- Yogurt salad dressings.
- Vegetable (olive, sunflower, etc.) oil.
- Nuts (all types, including avocado, but fatty varieties in moderation),
- Fruits and vegetables*
*It is a misconception that purines contained in vegetables can cause an increase in uric acid levels in the blood and thereby provoke acute arthritis.
In fact, purines contained in vegetables undergo rapid elimination, so they do not pose a danger.
Drinks you can drink:
- Alkaline drink (mineral water), jelly, cranberry and lingonberry fruit drinks, rosehip decoction, tea, coffee.
- It is recommended to drink milk, as a number of its components remove uric acid
- On average, it is recommended to drink 1.5 to 2.0 liters* of fluid per day.
*However, for patients with arterial hypertension, heart failure, impaired renal function, or prostate adenoma, this volume should be reduced (you should consult your doctor on this issue).
It is necessary to exclude:
- Liver, kidneys, brains and other offal, ham, sausages, canned meat, jellied meat, game (goose, duck).
- Smoked fish, balyk, fish caviar.
- Butter rolls, pies, premium bread.
- Processed cheeses.
- Soups with meat broths.
- Butter, lard, margarines.
- Chips (any kind due to the method of preparation, use of fats).
- Salty sauces, mayonnaise.
- Coca-Cola and other fizzy sweet drinks.
- Butter creams, pastries, cakes*.
*Fats delay the removal of uric acid from the body
Not only the quality, but also the quantity of food eaten plays a big role!!!
For example, if you allow yourself one sandwich with cheese for breakfast, nothing bad will happen, but if your entire daily diet consists of sandwiches with cheese, arthritis cannot be avoided, since even 100 g of low-fat cheese contains 20 g of fat.
To normalize weight, 1-2 days a week should be fasting.
Weight loss doesn't have to be quick! Fasting will only harm your health and cause an exacerbation of gout. You need to lose weight gradually, no more than 100-200 g per week.
Alcohol
It has been proven that alcohol intake leads to an increase in the level of uric acid in the blood, both with occasional and chronic use. Many patients associate exacerbations of arthritis with alcohol intake. It is well known that the incidence of gouty arthritis in people who drink alcohol regularly is significantly higher.
It is strictly forbidden to:
- Beer, including non-alcoholic beer, contains a lot of purines, from which uric acid is produced in the body.
Strong drinks (vodka, whiskey, gin, etc.), fortified wines make it difficult to remove uric acid from the body.
- Dry wine (white and red) – in moderation, has the least ability to cause a rise in uric acid (1-2 glasses per day are allowed).
You need to know that drinking alcohol with drugs taken to treat inflammation in the joints (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) is not only undesirable, but also contraindicated! This is associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and liver damage.
There was also a decrease in the effectiveness of allopurinol in patients who constantly take alcohol, since under the influence of alcohol, the metabolism of allopurinol to active substances is reduced. The opinion that the dose of allopurinol needs to be increased in case of alcohol intake also does not have sufficient grounds; such tactics can lead to the development of adverse reactions to allopurinol.
It is also undesirable to drink alcohol for patients undergoing therapy prescribed for arterial hypertension or diabetes mellitus.
Physical exercise
Physical activity increases the excretion of uric acid from the body and reduces the level of lipids in the blood.
It should be remembered: when engaging in physical education, fitness or other sports, with sufficiently severe physical activity, lactic acid can accumulate in the muscles, which usually leads to an increase in uric acid levels and provokes the development of arthritis. Therefore, the load should be increased gradually and the intensity of the workout should not be increased until muscle pain appears. It is the appearance of pain that signals the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles.
Type of exercise: cardio training (exercise bike, treadmill, measured walking, swimming, skiing). Regarding strength exercises, you should consult a doctor, as it is necessary to take into account the condition of the joints and concomitant diseases
Duration and frequency: depends on how you feel, optimally 30-45-60 minutes 3-4 times a week
ATTENTION! Shortness of breath, profuse sweating, palpitations, a feeling of interruptions in the heart, freezing, as well as discomfort in the heart area are not indicators of an effective workout! If these complaints occur, you should immediately stop training and seek medical help!
Features of nutrition, drinking regimen and physical activity must be discussed with a doctor, since what is suitable for one patient may harm another. No information, either electronic or printed, can replace consultation with a doctor.
Work and rest schedule
Despite your daily busy schedule, you should ensure that you get a full 7-8 hours of sleep at night. Shorter sleep leads to imbalance of hormones in the body, causing overweight and obesity.
WHEN AN ATTACK OF GOUT OCCURS, IT IS NECESSARY TO CONSULT WITH A RHEUMATOLOGIST SO AS NOT TO MAKE MISTAKES, HARM YOUR HEALTH, OR LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRONIC FORMS OF THE DISEASE.
Exercises for gout and preparation for them
Before you start doing a set of physical exercises for gout, you need to consider:
- nature of the disease;
- “well-being” of joints;
- cardiovascular system and its condition.
Types of exercises for gout according to the number of people involved:
- group;
- individual.
Whether to study in a group or individually depends on the degree of the disease and the general condition of the body. Group exercises are ordinary therapeutic exercises, which are aimed at overall improvement of the condition of the whole organism. Active games are also a good remedy in this case. Treatment of gout also includes outdoor games. But you must remember to be careful and gradually load your body.
In addition, breathing exercises should not be neglected; they are a mandatory component of the exercises. Only a properly constructed set of exercises will help alleviate the chronic form of the disease. Individual exercises take place when the body is not ready for group exercises. The individual form is used for the subacute nature of the disease. In this case, the basis of the exercises is gymnastics for the joints. Also important components are the same breathing exercises and walking.
More about the latter: walking in pleasant weather brings you, in addition to joy and pleasure, also benefits for your joints. So why neglect such a useful pleasure? You just need to listen to your body with every movement so as not to aggravate the gout of your legs.
Exercises
Gymnastics for knee joints:
- The position is taken, lying on your back, the knee is bent, and then straightened, first without resistance, and then with resistance.
- You need to sit on the floor and stretch your legs, alternately bending them at the knee with maximum tension.
Exercise for the joints of the lower leg, feet and wrist:
- You need to take a position lying on your back, legs should be straightened as much as possible, and arms should be placed along the body. Slow inhalations and exhalations are carried out, at the same time the fingers and toes are bent (the presented actions are performed 10 times).
- The starting position is similar to the previous one. Rhythmic inhalations and exhalations are performed, in parallel with which the joints of the lower leg and wrist are bent. Actions are performed 10 times.
- You need to sit on a chair and bend your legs, maintaining an angle of 90 degrees, feet apart at a distance of 30-50 centimeters, hands placed on your knees. You need to raise your feet as high as possible, while focusing on your heels. Performed 4-6 times.
- The starting position is similar to the previous one. You need to take 7 steps with each foot.
- This exercise requires steps. You need to stand on any of the steps so that your heel hangs down. We hold onto the railing with our hands. Next, rotations are performed with the feet in any direction. Rotations are performed 100 times on each leg. If such a large number of repetitions begins to cause pain, then you can reduce the number of repetitions to 20 times on each leg.
In addition to performing the exercises presented, you need to pay special attention to your diet. Meals should be taken up to six times throughout the day, in small proportions. You need to increase the amount of fluid consumed.
If gout is in an acute stage, then it is recommended to adhere to a strict diet and give up different types of meat and fish, eggs and alcoholic beverages.
Gout is a joint disease that can only be treated comprehensively, namely by taking medications, performing special exercises, visiting a massage therapist, and proper nutrition. If one of your relatives suffered from gout, then you can protect yourself by performing the presented exercises as a preventive measure.
The essence of the disease
Gout on the legs is a disease caused by metabolic pathologies, resulting in the deposition of salts in the joints. In another way, it is called “the disease of kings.” This name for gout is explained by the fact that it occurred among noble people back in the time of Hippocrates.
In the modern world, this disease is a relatively rare phenomenon; according to statistics, it occurs in 3 people out of 1000. As a rule, the disease occurs in men after 40 years of age and in women during menopause.
The disease affects all joints of the legs, even those located directly in the toes.
The provocateurs of the development of the disease are considered to be bad habits in the form of alcohol abuse and eating large amounts of junk food.
The disease can be cured by taking medications, but the process of getting rid of gout can be accelerated only by performing special exercises and visiting a professional massage therapist.