Gout is a painful condition that affects your joints. It causes extreme pain that almost always comes on quickly and without warning. Since you can’t always anticipate a gout attack, you can end up completely debilitated when one comes on. That’s why whenever you’re experiencing an attack of gout, you want the painful symptoms to go away as soon as possible.

Gout Symptoms

The joints most commonly affected by gout are your big toe, ankles, elbows, fingers, knees, and wrists. Most people with gout experience flare ups in their big toe, but it can occur in any joint. The main symptom of gout is sudden and intense pain in the joint. This pain can be so severe that even lightly touching the joint can make the pain worse. 

Other joint symptoms include:

●     Inflammation

●     Swelling

●     Tenderness

●     Stiffness

●     Redness

●     Limited range of motion

●     Skin that is warm or hot to the touch

Gout attacks tend to happen at night and the first 4-12 hours are usually the worst. Once the initial, severe pain subsides you may feel soreness and discomfort for days or weeks afterward.

What Causes Gout?

A complex type of arthritis, gout occurs when there is a build up of a substance called uric acid in your body. You produce uric acid naturally whenever your digestive system breaks down food that contains a chemical compound called purine. When consumed in moderate amounts, purines will be broken down by your body and will pass out of your body through your kidneys and urinary system.

When you consume too many purines, your body may not be able to keep up. This can lead to an excessive amount of uric acid building up in your body. This build up is called hyperuricemia and it’s not uncommon for the excess uric acid to turn into sharp and painful crystals. The pain associated with gout is the result of these crystals forming in your joints, fluids, and tissues.

Gout Risk Factors

Anyone is susceptible to developing gout, but it seems to occur most often in men and people who are significantly overweight or obese. Since gout is related to purines, you should also try to avoid food and drinks that will raise your purine levels.

Food and drinks high in purines include:

●     Seafood like sardines, mussels, codfish, haddock, trout, and anchovies.

●     Meats like bacon, veal, venison, and turkey.

●     Organ meats like liver and kidney. 

●     All types of alcohol

Foods with moderate levels of purine:

●     Chicken, beef, pork, and duck.

●     Crab, lobster, shrimp, and oysters.

Some medical conditions can make a person more likely to get gout. Those with kidney problems, diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension and metabolic syndrome are at a higher risk of experiencing gout. Anyone with these conditions should treat it correctly under the care of a medical professional to keep themselves as healthy as possible.

Frequent, moderate exercise will also reduce your chances of gout as well as improve your overall health. An added bonus is that exercising regularly will improve your circulation and mobility.

Having a healthy diet and lifestyle may not be enough to prevent each and every gout attack. These habits will make you less likely to have one and may reduce their frequency. However, if one does happen, here are a few ways to get relief from your symptoms.

Ways to Deal with Painful Gout Attacks

●     Apply Ice to the Joint: Ice packs are a simple and effective way to reduce pain, redness, and inflammation caused by gout pain. Keep a clean tea towel or rag in between the ice and your skin and be sure to take breaks. Aim for about 15 minutes each time you ice your joint, no more than a few times a day.

●     Elevate the Joint: Keeping the joint raised will help to ease pain and swelling because it will take pressure off the joint and improve blood flow. Gout most often affects the lower extremities, especially the big toe, so propping your leg up should give you some relief.

●     Stay Hydrated: The more dehydrated you are, the higher your uric acid levels will be. If you are experiencing a gout attack or are at risk of gout, be sure to drink plenty of water every day. Avoid alcohol and fructose drinks because these can raise your uric acid levels.

●     Take Your Prescription Drugs: Many over the counter medications can help with gout pain, particularly antiinflammatories like ibuprofen. Your pharmacist should be able to give you advice on OTC medicines that can help when your gout flares up. However, if you’re having an extremely painful gout attack, these medications might not be enough. You may need to take prescription medications instead to treat your gout.

Gout Relief Treatment

When you need something stronger to treat your gout, visit Pharmacy Planet. We can provide you with proven and effective pain relief for gout, including over the counter medications and prescription medications.

You don’t always need a face-to-face appointment with a medical professional for a prescription medication. At Pharmacy Planet, all you need to do is fill out an online assessment for one of our prescribers to review. Once approved, we will have your medication shipped swiftly and safely to your door.

Some of the prescription gout medications you’ll find at Pharmacy Planet include:

●     NSAIDs: NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) like Naproxen have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce swelling and irritation in several conditions, including gout.

●     Diclofenac Tablets: Anti-inflammatory medication that can treat the symptoms of mild to moderate arthritis and gout pain.

●     Colchicine: An anti-gout medication that helps with the painful symptoms of both acute and chronic gout.

●     Allopurinol: A medication that reduces the production of uric acid in your body.

You don’t have to keep suffering with gout pain. Visit Pharmacy Planet to buy Colchicine Tablets online in the UK. We are one of the UK’s most trusted online pharmacies and can provide you with a wide range of medications and treatments that we’ll ship right to your home.