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Gout – Ouch! What Do you know About it?

Well, I can assure you I didn’t know much until I had to take care of my aging mother and she had a bout with Gout occasionally. Turns out it is hereditary as well and of course, last week I suffered my first gout attack. And let me tell you it is not something to sneeze about. It is very painful and causes inflammation and swelling in the affected joint.

I started researching it even more a couple of years ago when my son, healthy and in his 30’s, had his first gout attack. He couldn’t even walk for days because of the pain in his foot. Uric levels are very high in your system when this happens and it is from your diet as well as your genes.

There are several factors that can contribute to high uric acid concentrations in your body which lead to a gout attack. I have found that most dietary causes are: alcohol,  red meat, lamb, pork, shellfish, too much sugar, meaning soda, organ meats such as liver, kidneys and others.

So, the good news is there is medication that can help and many people take a daily medication to prevent future attacks and another medication when they have an attack. This is how some of my relatives deal with it. Changing the diet is also a great way to take control of your body and change it naturally. I’m hoping this way will work for me. I am in the midst of many changes because I do not want to suffer from another attack in the future.

But I believe that being in touch with your body is the key and for some of us, that is a hard thing to do. With all the stresses of your jobs as healthcare professionals and travel nurses, added to the everyday stress of surviving and thriving in the world today, sometimes it is hard to take care of ourselves. But that is the most important person you must take care of, if not you, who?

Be safe and take steps to improve your health and your diet now, before it’s too late. It will make each day easier! Smile and safe travels!