Home / Uncategorized / Gout Treatment And Prevention

Gout Treatment and Prevention

Treating your gout is vital. Patients who leave gout untreated experience ongoing pain and risk kidney damage. In order to treat gout, doctors will often recommend a two-pronged treatment plan—firstly to provide pain relief, and secondly to proactively prevent future attacks.

Treatment plans for gout can include both medication and lifestyle changes to manage gout over the long-term. Let’s take a look at the methods often recommended to provide pain relief during a gout attack:

Gout Treatment and Prevention

  • NSAIDs
    Pain relief is imperative when a gout attack strikes. So anti-inflammatory drugs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain and swelling are often prescribed to the patient to take when early signs of an acute gout attack present themselves (within the first 24-hours).
  • Colchicine
    This pain reliever is derived from plant extracts and should be taken in the first 24-hours of an acute gout attack, in order to decrease both pain and inflammation.
  • Corticosteroids
    Several types of corticosteroids have proven effective for acute gout attack treatment. However, there are different types of corticosteroids to treat gout, and how they are administered differs per patient. For instance, ACTH (or adrenocorticotropic hormone) is a drug that is injected directly into a swollen joint and relieves pain by triggering the natural release of corticosteroids by the body. Oral corticosteroids, like prednisone, are usually taken orally, but can also be administered via injection within the first 24 hours of an acute gout episode.
  • Relax, rest and recoup
    As with any medical condition, rest is important for healing. During a gout attack, doctors recommend that patients drink plenty of water, elevate the affected joint, and reduce stress levels, which can exacerbate gout.
  • Call your doctor
    Calling your doctor may be the last thing on your mind during a painful acute gout attack. However, medical supervision is vital for diminishing uric acid levels following an attack, in order to prevent them in the future.

Work with your doctor to reduce the risk of future gout attacks over the long-term via the following treatment methods:

  • Lifestyle changes
    Diet and weight management can help reduce the risk of ongoing gout attacks, particularly if patients are overweight, sedentary, eat a rich diet (i.e., meat, seafood, sugary beverages), and drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
  • Medications to prevent gout attacks
    Sticking with your doctor-prescribed medication plan to treat gout over the long-term (i.e., Allopurinol, Febuxostat, Lesinurad, Probenecid, and Pegloticase) in addition to your regular dose of colchicine, or a NSAID for the first 6 weeks to 12 months can help lower uric acid and prevent future gout attacks.
  • Medications to treat tophi
    Tophi are yellowish-chalky colored nodules that can form from uric acid crystal buildup in affected joints. Doctors will typically treat painful nodules with medication known as a xanthine oxidase inhibitors, which can help reduce the size of tophi.
Disclaimer:
The content provided on our blog site traverses numerous categories, offering readers valuable and practical information. Readers can use the editorial team’s research and data to gain more insights into their topics of interest. However, they are requested not to treat the articles as conclusive. The website team cannot be held responsible for differences in data or inaccuracies found across other platforms. Please also note that the site might also miss out on various schemes and offers available that the readers may find more beneficial than the ones we cover.

Common nail infections to avoid

7 Popular Used SUVs to Buy Under $10,000

Recent Articles

An Overview Of Cla Safflower Oil

An Overview Of Cla Safflower Oil

Top 10 Health Benefits Of Safflower Oil

Top 10 Health Benefits Of Safflower Oil

An Overview Of Colon Polyps

An Overview Of Colon Polyps