All of a sudden, while you are in a deep sleep, you feel a sharp, shooting pain in your left foot in the area of your big toe.
It burns and as you move your foot under the covers, it hurts severely.
As you look at your big toe, it appears red and swollen.
And the pain persists.
You are experiencing a gout attack and your first priority is to find gout treatments that will bring relief from the pain and you swear silently that you will do anything to prevent this happening again.
But what can you do? Gout treatments for the pain.
Drink several glasses of water.
If you visit your doctor, he will most likely prescribe some non-steroid anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) such as Ibuprofen or Indomethacin.
While they will reduce the pain, you must be aware that continuous use has attendant side effects.
You are therefore better off using other gout treatments which are natural and homemade.
Avoid Aspirin as this will cause the retention of the uric acid which causes the urate crystals which in turn produces the pain.
Here are a few well-known effective gout treatments for the pain that you can take at home according to what you have available.
• Charcoal Foot Bath - Take a basin into which you will place about 3 tablespoons of charcoal and add warm water until you foot is covered.
Soak your foot for up to 30 minutes.
This should provide relief in a short time.
I must warn that the basin will be stained from the charcoal.
• Epsom Salts Foot Bath - This too is an old favorite of our grandparents.
Place your foot into a basin in which and add warm water and about a half cup of Epsom Salts.
This a powerful means of reducing the swelling and the inflammation.
You can keep adding hot water to hold the foot in warm water longer until the pain eases.
• Another one of the proven gout treatments is the use of a charcoal/flaxseed poultice.
Mix equal amounts of charcoal and ground flaxseed(very fine is better) and bring to a paste consistency.
Gently place this paste on the affected joint and cover with some cotton or plastic to keep it in place.
You can leave it overnight or replace every 4 hours.
Remember that the charcoal will stain so be mindful where you place your ointment.
• Another treatment is to immerse the affected area in hot water for a few minutes and then alternate with cold water for a few minutes.
Try not to keep your foot in the cold water for more than 5 minutes as you can make the pain worse.
Always end with warm water.
After having dealt with the immediate pain you will want to do what ever it takes to prevent a repeat of this nightmare.
What Is Gout? Gout is condition which results from an excess of uric acid in your body.
It is a very painful form of arthritis.
Uric acid in itself is not bad, since it is simply the waste product of the breakdown of purines in our food.
The trouble comes when the uric acid accumulates in the body for one reason or another.
One reason is that the kidneys are not disposing of these acids as fast as is necessary in our urine.
Another reason is that too much uric acid is being produced from the breakdown of too much purines.
Both reasons can exist at the same time.
This state causes the excess uric acid to accumulate in the joints or other parts of the body in the form of urate crystals.
It is then that you feel the pain and you have what is called gout.
Gout treatments must therefore seek to reduce the uric acid accumulation and to help your body to dispose of the acid in a more effective way .
How can you do this? • By eating less purine rich foods • Make it a habit to use fruits and vegetables each day and ensure that you take a serving of cherries in some form each day • By drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day • By eating more foods which are not so purine rich • Maintaining your ideal weight for you shape and height, without drastic weight loss • Exercise to improve your general health and help your body to better expel waste products • By avoiding all alcoholic beverages and sugar products for these increase uric acid production By following these measures you will certainly be on the road to better controlling whether you will have another gout attack.