If You Stop Drinking Will Gout Go Away?

Please share this one!

If you have gout, your diet can play a key role in preventing the flare-up and controlling the disease. This is reasonable since uric-acid crystals accumulated in the joint (the main reason behind the disease) are derived from protein called purine! And you can get this protein from foods that you eat. How about alcohol? Should you avoid it and stop drinking to make your gout go away?

Understanding uric acid and gout in general

Controlling uric acids in people with gout is as essential as controlling blood sugar in people with diabetes.

Most treatments for gouty arthritis are focused to keep the amount of this acid in the bloodstream as normal as possible in order to reduce the chance of developing new urate crystals that can accumulate in the joint and make gout worse.

But for most people, actually uric acid is a normal and harmless waste product. Normally, the body has its own natural mechanism to keep the level of this acid normal.

Purines are a protein of where uric acid comes from. When the body breaks down purines, this produces uric acid. Excess purines in the body can be caused by diet high in purines.

Yap, there are some foods contain purines that should be restricted by people with gouty arthritis. See more these foods in here!

Moreover, purines also can be found naturally in the body. For instance, when the body breaks down DNA, purines can form in the body.

The excess amount of uric acid in the blood will be normally removed through kidneys and then it go away from the body with urine. The body can get rid of it when you have a bowel movement, too.

But when there is too much uric acid in the bloodstream or/and if your kidneys don’t work optimally, it can build up in certain parts of the body such as in some joints and urinary tract, increasing the risk of gout and kidney problem.

In gout, the deposits of excess uric acid form urate crystals. These crystals can hurt the joint. They can act as needle-like crystals and cause inflammation.

In the treatments for gouty arthritis, there three major options to control and reduce the amount of uric acid:

  1. Reducing the intake of dietary purines by restricting foods high in purines.
  2. Improving the function of kidneys function such as drinking plenty of water in order to keep hydrated. When you are being dehydrated, this can significantly affect the way of your kidneys in removing the waste products such as uric acid. Some medicines are also available to help boost the function of kidneys.
  3. If necessary, sometime doctor may prescribe medicines such as xanthine oxidase inhibitors to temporarily block the production of uric acid.

Alcohol and gout

image_illustration234Alcohol can give bad impact in many parts of the body. But one or two drinks are commonly considered safe for most people. On the other hand, drinking too much can be harmful for the health and predispose some risks. One of these risks is the increased risk of gout.

Several decades ago, the link between gout and alcohol was debatable. But today, it has been confirmed that too much drinking (especially for beer) can increase the risk of gouty arthritis, especially in men – according to a study published and released in the Lancet medical journal.

Does it mean that if you stop drinking will make your gout go away?

The answer can vary. Dietary alcohol is only one of factors in determining the prognosis of gout. But avoiding /restricting alcohol along with other helpful lifestyle approaches is worth a try to cope with this joint disease!

Some people claim that their remedies work and successfully cure their gout. Yap, after the first attack of gout, a few sufferers notice that they never experience another flare-up. Even some cases of the gout’s first attack can spontaneously go away without treatment.

But you need also to know that the interval time between the first and the second flare-up of gout can take several months or even years. To understand this issue, see also the progression and stages of gout in this section!

How does alcohol affect your gout?

While the excessive consumption of alcohol is scientifically confirmed can increase the risk of gout, but experts don’t know exactly how far the effect of drinking alcohol in people who already have gout.

But in general again, restricting alcohol is commonly recommended to help cope with gout. If you drink, ensure to drink in moderation (2 drinks a day from men, 1 drink a day for women). But it can be much better if you can avoid alcohol.

The following are some possible reasons of why alcohol is considered bad if you have gouty arthritis.

.

Please Leave a Few Words

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *