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Gouty arthritis, or simply gout, has left a long and tortured legacy
through history of pain and suffering. If treated promptly and
correctly, gout is a one-time thing for many sufferers, but it hasn’t
always been that way.
The first ever recorded cases of gouty arthritis go back to ancient
Egypt in the year 2640 B.C. Later, it was Hippocrates who wrote of an
ailment he called podagra, or as it was known at that time, “the
un-walkable disease.” The commonly held belief during that time was
that bodily health was dictated by the four “humors”. It was believed
that as long as the four humors were in balance with each other, proper
health was maintained. When someone suffered from “the un-walkable
disease,” it was thought that one of the humors had dropped into the
infected joint and that was what caused the swelling and inflammation.
Since the first reported cases of gouty arthritis, the disease has been
associated with the wealthy. During the middle ages, the ailment was
given the tag “the disease of kings” because of its association with
alcohol and rich foods.
Treatment for gouty arthritis has evolved over time, as well. The use
of colchicine, which is still sometimes prescribed today to cure gout,
was used over two millennia ago in ancient Greece, but just for general
health purposes. The first sign that this compound was used
specifically for gout was in the sixth century.
Today, gout is usually treated by prescribing chemical or natural
substances that remove the uric acid from the body as quickly as
possible. The first evidence that this method of treating gout was used
was towards the end of the 19th century.
There are, however, many all natural and common sense treatments for
gout that don’t involve taking any pills at all. A combination of diet
control and small lifestyle changes can keep you gout free for life.
A good first step is to lose weight. The additional stress that your
joints experience makes them more vulnerable to gouty arthritis. Also,
losing weight is a way to naturally lower the amount of uric acid your
body retains. The less you retain, the less likely you will develop
gout.
Adjusting your diet so that you eat less than six ounces of lean meat a
day can help keep gout away, as well. The more animal protein in your
blood steam, the higher the chances are of you developing gout. You
don’t have to give up chicken, fish or lean meat, but in this case,
enjoying a little less can benefit you.
The evils of alcohol again rear their ugly head. The consumption of
alcohol can limit the amount of uric acid the body disposes of. If
you’re a guy, limit your alcohol to two drinks a day, and if you’re a
woman, keep it at one. If you have acute gout, don’t touch the booze at
all.
Believe it or not, but simply drinking an extra glass of water a day
can help keep you gout-free. The more water you drink, the more uric
acid gets flushed out of your system.
The devilish disease known as gout has been with us since day one, and
even with all the common sense precautions in the world, it will most
likely be here until we’re all gone. But with a few small changes in
your lifestyle, you can keep the Disease of Kings in permanent exile. |