Gout is a form of arthritis that strikes when you have too much uric acid in your body. If you have gout, you know firsthand how painful the symptoms can be--joints that hurt and become swollen and red with inflammation. Gout often occurs in your big toes or other joints in your feet or hands. Medication as well as lifestyle modifications can help relieve the pain of gout symptoms.
Instructions
1. Relieve the "hot spots" that gout inflammation can cause around your joints with an ice pack. Applying an ice pack to the affected areas will not cure the disorder, but may take the edge off the pain as you seek medical treatment.
2. Apply a heating pad to your stiff joints to retain function and range of motion in the affected areas of your hands, wrists, knees or toes.
3. Drink plenty of water to help relieve your gout symptoms. Water dilutes uric acid, which is one of the main causes of gout. Aim for eight glasses of water each day.
4. Limit the amount of meat you eat in a typical week. Foods that are high in protein, such as beef, pork, chicken and fish, can raise the level of uric acid in your body. Restrict your diet to only 5 oz. of meat each day if you are susceptible to gout.
5. Ask your doctor about taking a vitamin C supplement. Vitamin C may lower uric acid levels in some people and could be an effective form of relief for your gout symptoms.
6. Use over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain management. Aspirin and ibuprofen are NSAIDs that may relieve your gout symptoms.
7. Get a prescription for stronger medications, such as steroids, if your gout pain does not respond to over-the-counter preparations. Your doctor will decide if an oral or injectable drug will benefit your condition.
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