Treatment of gout with folk remedies at home

Published: 06/17/2021 12:50:00 Updated: 06/17/2021

Gout is a systemic disease characterized by impaired purine metabolism in the body and the deposition of urate crystals in the joints. The main manifestation of the disorder is considered to be repeated attacks of arthritis with intense pain in the joints and the appearance of tophi - gouty nodules. Also, with this disease, accumulation of salts in the kidneys is possible with the development of urolithiasis and renal failure.

The prevalence of the disease among adults in Europe ranges from 0.9 to 2.5%, and in the United States reaches 3.9%. Gout is most often diagnosed in men over 40 years of age. Among women, the pathology occurs 6-7 times less often.

Causes of gout

The main cause of gout is considered to be a violation of uric acid metabolism, leading to its excess in the blood - hyperuricemia.
This condition occurs when the intake of purines from food increases, when their metabolites simply do not have time to be excreted in the urine, or when the excretory function of the kidneys is impaired, as well as in the case of accelerated destruction of cells containing the nucleosides adenine and guanine in RNA and DNA, from which urinary tract is formed. acid in the human body. In this case, uric acid salts (urates) accumulate in the soft tissues of various organs, mainly in the joints, provoking their inflammation. Gout is also known as the “disease of feasting kings.” It received this name because the main source of its occurrence was considered to be excess in food and alcoholic beverages.

Now the disease has been studied in more detail and the following factors predisposing to the development of the pathology have been identified:

• consumption of foods rich in purines - meat, fatty fish, legumes, caffeine-containing products, offal (kidneys, liver, brain), seafood, as well as alcohol in large quantities;
• consumption of carbonated, sweet drinks and fruit juices;
• obesity;
• hemolytic anemia, leukemia, lymphoma;
• genetic defects (usually in men) and reduction of enzymes involved in the metabolism of uric acid;
• the use of medications such as diuretics, cytostatics, salicylates.

In women, gout usually develops in postmenopause, so the disease is also associated with hormonal changes in the body.

Compresses

Carrying out these therapeutic procedures will eliminate swelling of the joints and mild discomfort that occurs when the weather changes, exacerbation of other chronic pathologies, and after physical activity. Fresh young leaves of cabbage, horseradish, plantain, and burdock are used for compresses. They are washed with running water and soaked for a couple of hours, then dried with a paper towel. Doctors recommend additionally scalding plant materials with boiling water to prevent infection.

Compress for toes for gout.

Leaves for compresses can be used in two ways:

• vegetable raw materials (1 large leaf or 2-3 small ones) are crushed using a blender or simply ground to a pulp in a porcelain mortar. Add a teaspoon of almond, peach or wheat germ cosmetic oil, mix thoroughly and apply to sore joints;
• The leaf is kneaded well until drops of juice appear on its surface, then a layer of liquid honey is applied to it. Rub any fatty cream into the joint and apply a sheet.

To enhance the therapeutic effect, you can apply plastic film and thick fabric over the compress, securing the bandage with gauze or an elastic bandage. The duration of the treatment procedure is 1-2 hours. If pain, burning, or a “twitching” sensation occurs, you should quickly wash off the remaining mixture from the surface of the skin.

Pain in the joints of the fingers due to gout.

Gout symptoms

From Greek, gout is translated as “foot in a trap,” since the patient is primarily bothered by intense pain in the first metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot, knee or ankle.
It is also possible to involve the hand in the form of oligo or polyarthritis (inflammation of two or many joints). In this case, the joint becomes swollen, the skin above it acquires a red tint and begins to shine. This form of the disease is called acute gouty arthritis. The first clinical manifestations of the pathology may be preceded by a long asymptomatic period of hyperuricemia, when disorders are detected only by laboratory blood tests.

The first attacks of pain occur suddenly, mainly in the early morning or at night, tend to increase on the first day and completely disappear within a few hours or within a day. During an exacerbation of gout, signs of intoxication may also be present - increased body temperature, chills, weakness. After inflammation subsides, gouty arthritis occurs again, usually within six months to two years. As the disease progresses, the duration of periods of its asymptomatic course decreases, joint pain occurs more often and is more difficult to tolerate.

When going into a chronic form, gouty arthritis is accompanied by deformation and limitation of movements in the joints, pain of varying intensity becomes constant. Subsequently, deposits of uric acid crystals become visible. Under the skin, most often in the joint area, tophi appear - white or yellow nodules with crumbly, curdled contents. The formation of ulcers and purulent wounds is possible over them.

Hyperuricemia is accompanied by frequent exacerbations of concomitant diseases - coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis. If gout complications develop, their characteristic symptoms are added. For urolithiasis, this is nagging pain in the lower back, periodic appearance of blood in the urine, and frequent urination at night. With a prolonged course of chronic tophi gout, the articular cartilage is destroyed, limitation of joint mobility persists outside periods of exacerbation, and complete fusion of the joint space with the formation of ankylosis (complete immobility of the joint) is possible. Depression can also be a consequence of constant pain.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapeutic procedures help to finally stop inflammation in the joints due to gout. They are prescribed exclusively after drug reduction of arthritis symptoms. In the acute period of the disease, any methods of physiotherapy are strictly contraindicated.

What methods are used:

• applications of paraffin and ozokerite,
• healing mud,
• UHF,
• magnetic therapy,
• electrophoresis,
• phonophoresis of drugs.

Diagnosis of gout

The diagnosis and treatment of gout is carried out by a rheumatologist, internist or general practitioner (family doctor). Most often, the patient comes not at the onset of the disease, since the symptoms of acute gouty arthritis quickly disappear, which can be regarded by a person as recovery, but during one of the subsequent exacerbations. The doctor conducts a conversation with the patient, during which the fact of an acute joint attack in the past, the presence of characteristic complaints, as well as risk factors for the development of pathology are established. The phenomena of bursitis and tophi - the main objective manifestations of gout - are more often found on the leg. The diagnosis can be confirmed by a comprehensive examination of the body using laboratory and instrumental methods. If gout is suspected, the following tests are performed:

• Clinical blood test. During an attack of gouty arthritis, an acceleration of the COE, an increase in the number of leukocytes and a shift in the leukocyte formula to the left are possible.
• Determination of urate in blood serum. About 70% of patients with an exacerbation of gout have a high level of uric acid - more than 0.42 mmol/l in men and 0.36 mmol/l in women.
• Determination of uric acid in daily urine. The method is used to assess the risk of kidney stones.
• General urine analysis. It is carried out for the purpose of diagnosing diseases of the urinary system that contribute to the development of gout or are its complication.
• Examination of synovial fluid. Biomaterial is collected for analysis using puncture of the affected joint. The presence of monosodium urate crystals in the joint fluid makes it possible to confirm gout, and its sterility during bacterial culture excludes infectious causes of arthritis.
• Microscopic examination of a biopsy sample from tophi. When viewed through a polarizing microscope, urates appear as needle-shaped crystals with a pointed end. This method is also highly specific in diagnosing gout, like the previous one.

Instrumental diagnosis of gout may include research methods such as:

• Ultrasound of affected joints;
• MRI and CT;
• X-ray diagnostics.

X-rays at the onset of the disease are carried out for the purpose of differential diagnosis with other arthropathies, but there are no specific signs of gout. Only when the pathology becomes chronic can one see intraosseous tophi and marginal bone erosions in the photographs.

Ultrasound examination of joints before the development of chronic gout is effective only during exacerbations.

MRI makes it possible to detect tophi inside the joints even before they appear under the skin, making it possible to begin specific therapy for hyperuricemia earlier. The method is used in differential diagnosis with other diseases, as well as to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. CT, in comparison with other imaging methods, allows for more accurate differentiation of tophi masses.

When is surgery needed?

Surgical treatment of gout is rarely performed. Brief description of possible surgical interventions and indications for them:

1. Removal of tophi is required when they are severely overgrown or inflamed.
2. Opening the joint cavity, draining purulent cavities. An autopsy is indicated in the presence of purulent complications of gout (cellulitis, bursitis, arthritis).
3. Joint endoprosthetics. This operation is performed in patients with severe gouty lesions of large joints (hip, shoulder, knee).

Most cases of gout can be successfully treated with conservative methods.

It takes about a week for arthritis to subside. Anti-relapse treatment is carried out in long courses for life: this can be either following a diet or a diet with basic medications.

Treatment of gout

The main principle of treating the disease is to reduce hyperuricemia. This is facilitated by changing the patient’s lifestyle and reviewing the diet. Correction of hyperlipidemia, arterial hypertension, hyperglycemia, weight loss and smoking cessation are recommended. A diet for gout involves eliminating foods that are rich in purines or retain them in the body:

• sweet carbonated drinks;
• seafood;
• meat;
• spicy, hot and smoked foods;
• chocolate, ice cream;
• salty cheeses;
• caffeine, cocoa, strong tea;
• alcohol.

Endogenous purines increase when consuming large amounts of animal protein, so the daily requirement for a patient with gout is considered to be no more than 1.5 g per 1 kg of the patient’s body weight. Dairy products with low fat content, such as kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt, help remove uric acid from the body. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, for example, those found in olive oil, have a similar effect. Also, if you have gout, you must follow a drinking regime - at least 2.5 liters of water per day.

It is advisable to begin drug treatment of gout on the first day of the onset of acute arthritis. To stop an attack, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, colchicine and glucocorticosteroid drugs are used locally or systemically. Hypouricemic therapy is prescribed after laboratory and instrumental confirmation of the diagnosis. It is aimed at:

• reduction of uric acid to the target level - 0.36 mmol/l;
• reduction of foci of urate accumulation in the body;
• reduction in the size of tophi;
• reduction in the frequency of attacks of gouty arthritis.

Allopurinol is considered the drug of choice for this. If it is intolerant, it is possible to use a selective xanthine oxidase inhibitor, febuxostat. Losartan, Amlodipine and Fenofibrate also have a moderate uricosuric effect. Diuretics are used with great caution, only for health reasons. Surgical removal of tophi is carried out only when severe complications occur, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome, spinal compression.

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