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31

the joint.
4. Drink plenty of fluids. Staying
hydrated flushes out the uric
acid and prevents a possible
complication of kidney stones.
5. Apply ice. Use an ice pack to
help ease pain and inflammation.
6. Change your menu. Avoid
high-purine foods such as
shellfish, red meat, and gravies.
7. Walk with a cane. During an
acute attack, this takes the
pressure off of the affected
joint.
8. If the foot is affected, elevate.
This helps lessen swelling.
9. Fold the sheets so that they do
not touch the toe since this can
be painful.
10. Cut the big toe out of socks.
11. Relax if you can. Stress aggravates gout.

All about
Gout
By Jean Jeffers
Fred is in trouble but he doesn’t
know it yet.
He is on his way home on the red
eye special and is experiencing pain
in his big toe. He is starting to have
that same pain in his right elbow.
Fred is a 62 year old male, perpetually tired, always stressed out,
overweight and paying little attention to his diet, or to any exercise
needs, and who has not had a
checkup by a physician in the last
five years.
And Fred has the beginning of
gout.
Gout is a disease in which there
is a build-up of too much uric
acid in the body. Gout attacks
occur when this excess uric acid
crystalizes in the joints. The acid
is a byproduct of a breakdown of
purines during the digestive process. Some individuals’ bodies do
not manage uric acid efficiently;
others produce too much.
There may be excruciating pain
and this pain may occur suddenly,
say, in the middle of the night.
What to do until morning? Take a
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory if
one is on hand, such as Ibuprofen
or Aleve to ease the pain. If you are
able to tolerate NSAIDs, take the

highest dose for at least 24 to 36
hours; by then you will have seen
your doctor. The medication will
relieve the pain and prevent further
build-up of uric acid crystals.
Corticosteroids are also used
such as prednisone. These have
anti-inflammatory properties.
Sometimes the doctor will inject
corticosteroids directly into the
affected joint.
These drugs, Colchicine for
those who cannot tolerate NSIDs,
and NSAIDS and Corticosteroids
should be taken as prescribed during the acute episode and then long
term therapy with a drug such as
Allopurinol is begun. The doctor
may also continue the NSAIDs for
six to 12 months after an attack—
until uric acid levels have come
down. Optimal uric acid levels are
below 6.0 mg. of uric acid to 1dl.
blood.
Tips for managing a gout attack
are:
1. The pain of gout is best managed if treatment begins within
36 hours. Untreated gout
may persist for weeks. Many
times the attack will begin in
the middle of the night and
it is best to have on hand an
NASID so that treatment may
begin promptly.
2. Make an appointment with
your doctor for immediate
gout treatment. You will more
than likely need to remain
on medication and adopt a
low-purine diet, among other
lifestyle changes that will prob-

ably be advised.
3. Protect the affected joint. Get
plenty of rest during the recovery from an attack and protect

About the Author
Jean is a RN with a MSN in nursing.
She is a writer doing freelance and is
a staff writer for Living Well 50Plus
and Health and Wellness Magazines.
She is currently seen in Today’s
Christian in the Mature Years. She
has a story in an anthology entitled
“Many Roads Taken.” (2012)

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