Natural Gout Treatment Options

Gout is a form of arthritis that is caused when the body produces excess amounts of uric acids, or the kidneys are unable to get rid of the chemical properly. Instead, the uric acid will turn into little crystals that end up in the joints. This causes a great amount of pain and swelling of the affected area. There are several indications that one might have gout - the symptoms come on very suddenly, and the rapidly oncoming pain can feel pretty severe. The affected area will also become sensitive to the touch, reddish and swollen. It most commonly develops in the big toe and surrounding area, but any of the joints can be affected. It's more often in serious, repeated cases when other joints are affected.

There are many factors that can lead to gout. This includes being overweight, constant alcohol intake, excessive consumption of foods containing high levels of purines (organ meat such as livers and kidneys, red meat, gravies and other heavy sauces, asparagus, shellfish and anchovies to name a few) which can in turn raise the uric acid levels, certain medications such as insulin and cyclosporine, high blood pressure, and even hereditary. Any one of these things can become factors in the cause of gout, especially if combined.

Fortunately, there are several natural treatments one can take to ease the pain of gout and recover faster. Most of these remedies are preferable to conventional gout treatment, as medications prescribed for gout are not very good for the body at all, and definitely not safe to take for a long period of time. They also tend to have major side effects - whereas natural treatments are generally safe and have no or little side effects. Many people have also turned to the natural remedies when past conventional treatments with gout haven't worked so well.

- One of the best natural ways to treat gout is to change your diet. Just stop eating those foods that are high in purines, avoid alcohol, and add in more water and fruits such as cherries and blueberries (even just a handful or two a day is good) - foods that actually will counteract the purine levels, which will then lower the uric acid your body produces. This will not only help you get over gout faster, but prevent it from returning in the future.

- Cold therapy is great for getting through a bout of gout. Putting a cold compress over the joint that is infected, or applying a bag of ice wrapped in a towel (for no longer than twenty minutes) will greatly help ease the pain and lower swelling.

- You can also try homeopathy. There are herbs that work with the symptoms of gout, such as taking 12C of Belladonna every few hours to help with the swollen, aching joints. If the area burns or itches along with the swelling, then the same dosage of Urtica urens will ease the discomfort. Many people have claimed that homeopathy has worked better for them than conventional pain relief medications.

Of course, though these treatments should greatly help, you shouldn't neglect going to see your doctor - especially if you're dealing with repeated attacks of gout.