I never knew or thought much about gout, until my best friend was diagnosed with it recently. The way she describes her suffering during an attack has really made me appreciate the challenges gout brings to the sufferer. Her pain becomes so excruciating, even a bed sheet lightly resting on her toe is unbearable.
The misery of gout, the oldest known form of arthritis, was first identified in ancient Egyptian medical texts in 2640 B.C. Historically, gout has been referred to as the disease of kings because people often incorrectly link it to the high intake of food and wine, to which only the rich and powerful had access. We now know that gout can affect anyone and that it has many more risk factors, including genetics, than previously thought.
What is gout?
Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis and can cause the abrupt onset of pain, swelling and warmth in one or more joints. It affects approximately four percent of people in the United States and can occur in those who have high blood concentrations of uric acid. Uric acid is a byproduct of the metabolic breakdown of certain foods. High levels of uric acid can develop due to conditions that cause an overproduction of uric acid or conditions that impair the ability to eliminate uric acid.
What are the symptoms of gout?
Not everyone with an elevated uric acid level has symptoms of gout. But when symptoms do occur, gout typically causes intense swelling, warmth, and pain in one or more joints. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of gout attacks affect a person’s big toe. Acute gout flare ups can occur intermittently with asymptomatic periods in between. Sometimes the flare ups may resolve without intervention. However, in the later stages of untreated gout, flare ups can become more frequent, involve more joints, cause more joint damage, and even lead to deformities such as nodules that develop in the skin around the joints.
What are the causes and risk factors of gout?
The following are risk factors that can increase the chance of developing gout:
- Being male
- Being obese
- Having a family history of gout
- Over consuming alcohol, especially beer and hard liquor.
- Eating a diet high in purines (certain meats, seafood, high fructose corn syrup)
- Having kidney disease
- Having heart failure
- Having hypertension
- Having inherited genetic mutations
- Having a malignant disease
- Taking certain medications that interfere with uric acid levels (diuretics, laxatives and some immunosuppressives
Bio-Touch has been shown to ease the symptoms of gout. While not a substitute for standard medical care, Bio-Touch is an effective complement to mainstream medical protocols. And there are no negative side effects to worry about. Everyone, even children, can learn Bio-Touch!
The Bio-Touch organization is offering a workshop on gout at the Center in Tucson on Thursday December 27th from 6-8PM. Workshop attendees will learn the Bio-Touch points necessary to address the symptoms.
So come and bring your family and friends to the Center at 5634 E. Pima St. in Tucson. It’s so rewarding to share Bio-Touch, and you’ll feel great learning how to help others feel better! For more information or to learn about online classes, go to justtouch.com.
