Chester Herbalist

A gout attack is usually very sudden and symptoms include swelling, redness and extreme pain of the affected joint. The pain is commonly so severe that you are not even able to touch the joint slightly with your fingers or even cover the joint with light material. The pain can be quite incapacitating as movement of the joint is too painful. Joints other than the big toe that may be affected are the fingers, wrists, elbow, ankle, knee and spine.

The uric acid crystals are deposited in the joints when there is too much uric acid in the blood. This may be caused by an increased production of uric acid or a decreased excretion of uric acid by the kidneys. Some individuals may have genetic predisposition to gout, while in others, the causes of an excess amount of uric acid may be caused by an incorrect diet.

Dietary measures that may be taken to decrease uric acid levels in the blood include reducing alcohol (especially beer and red wine), and red meat intake and avoiding foods which contain purines. Increasing fresh fruit (especially berries) and vegetables and increasing water intake also helps balance your levels of uric acid. It is important to note that our recommended treatment should be taken in conjunction with and not in place of any treatment recommended by your healthcare practitioner. Please consult your healthcare practitioner if your symptoms persist for longer than six weeks.