If you have ever experienced a gout attack, you know first hand it is incredibly painful.
While many gout patients wonder how to get rid of this disease, a more important question is what causes gout in the first place? The main factor that causes this painful arthritic disease is too much uric acid.
Uric acid is actually a regular function of the body.
This occurs when your body takes purines that are found in many different foods and metabolizes them.
The pain begins when it turns into crystals.
This is a problem because normally it is a liquid.
When these crystals get too excessive they settle in joints, usually the lower ones, such as your big toe, although they can occur in any joint.
This process damages your joints and causes swelling which is where the gout pain comes from.
Hyperuricemia usually arises from two factors.
Either your body produces too much acid for your body to handle or you create a normal level, but your body cannot properly process it.
There are tests that can help a physician diagnose what the root problem is.
For some reason, not all people who suffer from hyperuricemia get gout.
Another factor that creates this condition is obesity due to poor dieting.
While there are quite a few healthy foods that contain purines such as beans, many of the foods that cause gout are simply not good for you.
These unhealthy foods prevent your body from functioning properly which can lead to either increases in uric acid or the inability to properly get rid of it.
Also, the excess weight adds stress to your joints which can damage them causing them to be more susceptible to having an attack.
Certain drugs to include prescription drugs and over the counter drugs can also help cause an attack if you are susceptible.
A couple of these would be aspirin and furosemide, otherwise known as lasix.
Lasix is a diuretic and any diuretic has the potential to dehydrate you, which increases your risk of having an acute attack.