Diabetic feet need extra care. Even small foot problems can become serious for people with diabetes. Always check with your doctor before treating a foot issue at home.
Once upon a time, “gout” used to be a condition which was mostly seen among wealthy people with unhealthy eating and drinking habits, and sedentary lifestyles. At present, however, an estimated 68 percent of American adults are either overweight or obese, and as a result, gout and Type 2 diabetes have become much more prevalent. The bottom line: the incidence of gout and diabetes increases every year due to the unhealthy lifestyle of most Americans.
What is gout and what causes this disease?
Gout is an arthritic condition produced by the excess build-up of uric acid. This kind of arthritis usually affects the big toe, but it can also occur in the feet, ankles, knees, hands, and wrists. It causes sudden and extreme pain, swelling, and redness in the affected areas.
Gout and Diabetes
There has been much research on the relationship between gout and diabetes. Factors explored include age, sex, and especially weight, because obesity is a high risk factor for both gout and Type 2 diabetes.
The following include some of the important findings from recent research: 1. A study, published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, found that almost three-quarters of new gout patients were men, with an average age of 61. Among new women patients, the average age was 68.
2. The researchers also found that women had higher chances of developing diabetes in association with gout.
3. The study also observed that a gout patient usually drinks more alcohol, visits the doctor more often, has more medical problems, and is more dependent on steroids and diuretics than those who do not have gout.
4. Researchers found that the best way to reduce the chances of developing gout or diabetes is to control risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight.
5. Type 2 diabetes, characterized by high levels of sugar in the blood, can also result from over-eating and lack of exercise. 6. Gout and Type 2 diabetes often co-exist in people with common physical characteristics and conditions, the most prominent being obesity.
Common Gout Symptoms
The usual symptoms of gout:
- Swelling associated with acute tenderness and pain in the big toe joint is a symptom called podagra. The pain begins Stop! Consult your medical doctor! at night for most patients. It may escalate quickly, last for hours, and become so intense that even the light pressure of a bed sheet is extremely painful.
- The skin around the affected joint may turn red or purplish. This may appear to be a sign of joint infection.
- Movement of the affected joint is reduced.
- As the gout improves, there is flaking and itching of the skin around the affected joint.
Rare Gout Symptoms
Some patients have more obscure or less obvious symptoms:
- Unusual symptoms are seen in patients, mostly those who suffer from chronic gout. Chronic gout in older people may be less painful. It may also be confused with other forms of arthritis.
- Another sign of gout is inflammation of the fluid sacs (bursa) that cushions the surrounding soft tissues. This occurs mainly in the elbows (olecranon bursitis) and knees (prepatellar bursitis).
- Symptoms may sometimes start after a sickness or surgical procedure.
Effective Gout Management
The best ways to manage your gout include:
- Lose weight: Keep your weight under check. An ideal waist size might be below 35 inches for a woman and 40 inches for men.
- Exercise daily: Daily exercise will keep your weight and blood pressure down. This will lower your uric acid level and therefore minimize your risk of developing gout.
- Reduce alcohol: Research found that those who drank two to four beers per week were OR percent more likely to develop gout. Those who averaged at least two beers a day were at a 200 percent higher risk.
- Avoid sweet beverages: lne great way to reduce calories is to avoid sugary beverages. This will also help improve diabetes.
- Maintain the ¶gout diet•: A good gout diet is low on foods high in purines. This food group increases the levels of uric acid in the body, which aggravates gout. Gout patients should have only one daily serving of these foods, at most.
- More dairy products: ptudies have shown that skimmed, low-fat milk or other low-fat dairy products can help reduce the risk of gout. Start following these tips carefully to gain better control over your gout. 69 69
