Yulia Berry is an independent health researcher and author of the best selling e-books Aloe - Your Miracle Doctor and 'Pharmacy in Vegetables'. She distributes a weekly newsletter regarding great home remedies and has written dozens of natural health articles published on hundreds of websites worldwide. Yulia Berry's new ebook Unlocked Secrets of Curative Garlic to be released soon.
Gout is a very painful type of arthritis that occurs because of the buildup and crystallization of uric acid in the body. This uric acid buildup and subsequent crystallization leads to painfully sharp uric acid crystal being deposited throughout the body’s joints especially the big toe. Other deposits of uric acid called tophi can also form resembling lumps underneath the skin and kidney stones can also develop as the result of this condition.
For most people who are unlucky enough to get gout, the big toe is the part of the body that suffers the most. When inflicted with gout, the big toe becomes extremely sore and sensitive sometimes even becoming warm and swollen. A gout attack at night can be severely painful, waking the sufferer up it it occurs.
Gout occurs in four separate stages:
Stage 1: Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia
No symptoms are felt in this first stage of gout in which the uric acid levels start to rise. If the high levels of uric acid are not attended to, then it will began to precipitate out of the blood and become crystallized in the kidneys and joints.
Stage 2: Acute gouty arthritis
Acute gout is the second stage and the stage in which gout begins to harm the body. The Uric acid levels reach a point that the blood cannot keep it in a dissolved form and it begans to crystallize and deposit itself in the joints. Pain and swelling then occurs. Attacks of acute gout generally happen in the night and can last for weeks at a time if left untreated. These attacks can then become more severe and prolonged if nothing is done about them.
Stage 3: Intercritical gout
After the attacks have subsided a person enters this third stage in which the immune system begins to stabilize itself and gets ready for more attacks from the still forming uric acid crystals. While there are no symptoms in stage three, if a person with gout does not get help by this time, the disease becomes increasingly harder to control.
Stage 4: Chronic Gout
This is the worst and most destructive stage of the condition and one that can cause permanent damage to the joints and kidneys. The affected joints can deteriorate, causing extreme crippling pain. In some more extreme case, this stage can even lead to kidney failure and death.
Like many other chronic conditions, gout is a disease that can build upon itself and become worse if it is not treated in its earlier stages. By noticing the early warning signs and seeing a physician, you can catch gout in its early stages and reduce the chances of having to go through the crippling latter ones.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Gout Causing Foods - Gout Causing Food You Must Avoid
- Gout- What Causes of Gout Are?
- Understanding the Causes of Gout
- The Causes of Gout - What Causes Gout and 3 Natural Home Remedies
- Gout - Causes And Treatment
- What Causes Gout? - Gout Causes Explained
- Common Causes of Gout: Sometimes They're Not Easy to Avoid
- Is Sleep Apnea One of the Causes of Gout?
Infertility Options to Treat Couples
By: zoulkifl | 16/12/2009Infertility in humans is the inability to produce children for a woman and the incapability of a man to produce fertile sperms or father a child. This becomes a serious issue for many couples who plan to have families of their own.
Herbs For Controlling Diabetes
By: Ajeet Gautam | 16/12/2009Diabetes is one of the most common diseases afflicting millions of people worldwide. If you are diabetic you have to keep your blood sugar levels under control to keep yourself fit. In this article let us find out some of the symptoms of diabetes and how one can keep diabetes under control by
Are High Blood Pressure Home Remedies More Effective Than Drugs?
By: Rachel Willson | 15/12/2009If you are at the point that you have to decide how you are going to handle your high blood pressure, you need to know what your options are. Drugs are not the only treatment. Check out High blood pressure home remedies as an alternative.
How to Eliminate Gout - Follow These Proven Expert Tips
By: Hunter Elliott | 15/12/2009Gout is one of the most common forms of arthritis. It causes a lot of pain and discomfort for many people. But there are things you can do which will help.
Side Effects of Eczema and Treatment
By: Melanie Nader | 15/12/2009A severe drying of the skin is a hereditary skin condition called eczema. There are side effects associated with the skin condition such as rashes, flaky skin, and itching. You should use natural eczema oil to treat the condition to avoid further side effects from other types of eczema treatment.
Are High Blood Pressure Home Remedies More Effective Than Drugs?
By: Rachel Willson | 15/12/2009If you are at the point that you have to decide how you are going to handle your high blood pressure, you need to know what your options are. Drugs are not the only treatment. Check out High blood pressure home remedies as an alternative.
Prevent Dry Skin - Follow These Proven Methods to Get Rid of Angular Cheilitis
By: Hunter Elliott | 15/12/2009Angular cheilitis is one of the most common dry skin conditions.
Fast Relief From Dry Cracked Skin - Learn How to Get Rid of Angular Cheilitis
By: Hunter Elliott | 15/12/2009Is dry cracked skin affecting your life? Well if so then you should start following these tips.
Smells like Aromatherapy
By: Yulia Berry | 30/11/2009 | WellnessA great way to show some how much you care about them and relieve a little tension and stress that might have accrued over the course of a long hard day is to give a nice aromatherapy massage. These massages have many physical and emotional benefits for both parties involved. However, when giving an aromatherapy massage, it is important to follow important safety guidelines so that you might avoid any potential injuries.
Wrinkled in Time
By: Yulia Berry | 30/11/2009 | Skin CareBy the time we are 30, many of us are already seeing wrinkles develop in places such as the corners of our mouth and eyes as well as in pointy spots like our elbows and knees. However, there is no reason to get upset and think that you are going to start looking like Tommy Lee Jones overnight. Wrinkle prevention is a relatively easy process to follow, but it is a routine that you want to get started on rather sooner than later.
The Skinny On Dry Skin - The Four Major Causes Of Dry Skin
By: Yulia Berry | 30/11/2009 | Skin CareDry skin is a common complaint made by people all over the globe, especially those who live in places that are cold and dry. Dry skin is not a serious medical condition, however the itchy discomfort and sight of rough patches of skin does cause much concern for people who happen to suffer from it. Aside from the discomfort and unsightliness, dry skin is also thought to be a contributing factor in the formation of wrinkles and fine lines within the skin.
Headaches Are Such a Pain
By: Yulia Berry | 30/11/2009 | Mental HealthNausea, blinding flashes of light, seeing stars, painful pressure on the sides and front of your head; there is nothing worse than a severe migraine headache hitting you at the end of the day. Just when you are about to relax after a long stress filled day, it hits you like a runaway dump truck turning your chill time into ill time. Go figure right?
Clean Your Colon
By: Yulia Berry | 27/11/2009 | Diseases & ConditionsFlukes, tapeworms, and roundworms, are common parasites that can find their way into our body through the foods that we eat and liquids that we drink. Once inside, they make their way into our intestines and colon, where they set up shop and make themselves right at home. These colon parasites will eventually bring on chronic disease and sickness if not properly controlled. The best way to make sure that you rid yourself of these parasites is regular colon cleansing.
Stop The Spots
By: Yulia Berry | 27/11/2009 | Skin CareAge Spots, or Liver spots, are gray, brown or black spots on the skin that are caused by exposure to the sun. These flat spots, which are also called solar lentigo, occur on portions on the skin that see constant sun exposure such as the back of the hands or the forehead although they may be found in other less exposed areas also.
A skin spot by another name…
By: Yulia Berry | 27/11/2009 | Skin CareMost age spots are harmless, but some just might be pretending to be harmless dark skin spots. If a spot thickens and changes color, itches or bleeds be sure to have a dermatologist check it out. Irregular spots that grow and spread are early signs of skin cancer.
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
By: Yulia Berry | 27/11/2009 | Hair LossHealthy people have it so dang lucky. Not only to their bodies look good due to all of their healthy habits, but their hair also tends to look great. Healthy good looking hair is just another side effect of good clean living.