King Henry VIII, was not only known for his big role on the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church and for having 6 wives, but he was also known to have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, which had led to his mood swings, temperament, over-eating, and obesity. The king’s unhealthy eating in the later part of his reign had caused his rapid health decline and ultimately, his death. He was also believed to have suffered from gout and had to be moved out of his death bed using a mechanical invention because of his condition.
Gout, in the ancient times, was associated with overindulgence in food and drinks, for which King Henry VIII had been known for. Back then, only the royalty could have afforded the indulgence.
That is quite some history!
But Gout can not only happen to them alone especially when there are many people who are over-indulging themselves with unhealthy convenience meals these days.
More than such association, gout is a chronic, metabolic disorder that causes severe, burning pain and swelling. Gout happens when there is an abnormal amount of metabolism in the uric acid, which results to an abnormality in the blood and tissue.
Causes, Symptoms and Signs of Gout
Some people can generate too much or too little of uric acid depending on how the body metabolizes the food eaten. People who generate too much uric acid are called “over-producers” while those who cannot effectively eliminate uric acid in the urine are called “under-excreters.”
Who are at risk and What causes Gout:
- Hereditary: people whose parents have gout, are 20% more likely to have it
- Excessive intake of alcoholic beverages, especially beer, also increases the risk of gout
- A diet rich in red meats, internal organs, yeasts, and oily fish are known to cause gout
- Sudden change in uric acid levels such as trauma, starvation and dehydration, chemotherapy
- People with diabetes and heart conditions and are already on medication for said illnesses may also suffer from gout
Symptoms and Signs:
- Sudden onset of a hot, red swollen joint, usually appearing at the base of the big toe
- 1st attack of gout may go away after a week or two but will come back with pain either on the same joint or on multiple joints
- Kidney stones are also common and more frequent to people suffering from gout
- Uric acid crystals can form from outside joints such as the earlobe, elbow and the back of the ankle
How to treat Gout?
While gout is said to be incurable as with most diseases associated with arthritis, people who are suffering from it can find ways to cope properly or make it less troublesome if the underlying causes of gout would be avoided
- Increase fluid intake: This can help manage chronic gout, reduce joint pains, and avoid the risk of dehydration, which triggers gout attacks.
- Eat food with fewer purines: Purines are naturally found in many foods, but the uric acid buildup may be caused by the breakdown of purines, too. Avoid foods high in purines such as organ meats, sardines, and anchovies.
- Eat plenty of fruits: Fruits provide complex carbohydrates and nutrients that are generally healthy and contain fewer purines. Fruits rich in Vitamin C such as tangerines and oranges, may help prevent gout attacks.
- Choose the right kind of carbohydrates: Complex carbs with high fibers such as oats, sweet potatoes, beans, and vegetables are the right kinds of carbs should be in one’s diet.
- Limit alcohol intake: This is a general rule for a generally healthy body and not solely for gout. Beer, which contains yeast, is the worst alcoholic drink that exposes a person to develop gout.
- Eat less meat: Eat vegetables instead and limit the amount of chicken, pork, or lean beef consumed. Restrict it to 1 serving a day.
- Eat healthy and exercise regularly: Obesity increases a person’s risk of gout. Gout is just one of the diseases one can acquire by being overweight so start eating healthy (avoid the dreaded D word) and exercise regularly.
Whether or not one has a royal blood is besides the point, because nobody chooses to be overweight and suffer from gout.
So stop making excuses and choose good health by and exercise regularly and eating the right food at the right time.
