In managing gout, Dr. Abhijit Sen combines medication management with dietary counseling to effectively control flare-ups and reduce uric acid levels. His comprehensive approach not only alleviates pain but also addresses lifestyle factors that contribute to gout, providing patients with long-term solutions and preventive strategies to avoid future attacks.
Gout means arthritis or synovitis due to precipitation of urate crystals in joints or soft tissues respectively. Every joint pain is not gout. Gout mainly involves the joints of the foot and ankle, hand joints, elbow and sometimes knee. Fluctuation in the blood level of uric acid precipitates an acute attack of gout. Many times the blood level of uric acid is normal in acute gout. On the contrary, 5% of the general population has a high uric acid level otherwise do not have symptoms of joint pain. They do not require treatment for gout. Chronic gout leads to joint erosion and joint deformity.
If you have joint pain, then consult your physician to know the cause of joint pain. If your joint pain is due to gout then your doctor will advise some medicines and you have to avoid certain diets.
Diets to avoid in gout-
- Organ meats- liver, brain, kidney
- Red meats- mutton, beef, pork
- Alcohol especially beer
- Some seafood like shellfish, canned fish
- Fructose-containing drinks like fruit juices and sugary sodas
- Cakes, candy and cookies
Some vegetables like legumes and beans contain high amounts of purine, but researchers say high-purine plant foods do not trigger attacks of gout.
