Gout is an incredibly painful form of arthritis. Patients who have gout have a great desire to get rid of this disease quickly. It can be so painful that sufferers have said they can’t even handle having the tiny pressure that comes from a bed sheet during an acute attack. It’s no wonder that people who suffer from gout look for quick methods to treat it. Unfortunately, there are very few quick options. The only real quick option is a cortisone shot and that is not a good long term answer.
Because there is no quick option, the best solution is to try and prevent gout in the first place. Many people including myself use the term “gout cures“, but there really is not way to completely cure gout, but I believe you can successfully reduce the amount of attacks you get. I say that because I suffer from gout and I used to get it quite regularly, a couple times a month, and now I only have an attack once a year or so.
So, how did I reduce the number of attacks so drastically? By using the following gout home remedies on a consistent basis. These home remedies are not listed in the order of preference, but I believe they all have played a part in reducing my gout attacks.
Water is one of the best home remedies for gout I can suggest. Part of the reason a person can get gout is because of dehydration. Not in the sense of dehydrating yourself while exercising, although you can get gout from overexerting your joints, but in overall dehydration. When you do not get sufficient supplies of water, your body does not work at peak efficiency at the cellular level and uric acid can get out of control and deposit into the joints. This causes an attack. Your body reacts by trying to treat this and you have painful swelling. Your body does itself in by trying to treat itself. Drinking plenty of water enables your body to continue to perform at peak efficiency. This in and of itself won’t prevent an attack, but in conjunction with other methods it is very effective.
Cherries are an excellent home remedy for gout. They work on all phases of gout treatment. They work on prevention by promoting the reduction of serum uric acid levels. They are able to accomplish this through vitamin C and also through potassium. Cherries are also able to reduce gout pain through anthocyanins. U.S. government studies in 2003 backed up other studies that show cherries can reduce inflammation. Cherries are beneficial for helping treat the damage caused by gout. They do this through antioxidants and folic acid. Overall, cherries are a prize for gout sufferers.
Ice is another remedy you can use to get rid of gout pain. I do have to say it has worked for me, but it is controversial. Some people swear by it and others curse it. Ice is truly good for inflammation and this would be why many people insist on using ice. Other people insist it makes their gout attacks worse. This could be because ice cools the joint decreasing blood flow and synovial fluid flow. Proper blood and synovial fluid flow to the joint is important because it allows the joint to remain lubricated and to flush out toxins including uric acid. This one you’ll have to experiment for yourself. Again, it worked for me, but I know people who say it makes their gout worse.
Other gout remedies I use are alfalfa, pineapple, watermelon, or basically almost any fruit. Used in combination, they really give you a good basis on lowering your uric acid and on treating the pain if you should have an acute attack.