If you suffer from gout, you might be wondering just what you can do to avoid flare-ups when they happen. Gout flare-ups can either just be annoyances that keep you from fully enjoying time spent out, or the flare-ups can completely disrupt what you are doing, making you head home early in severe pain. It is important that you follow orders from your doctor on how to deal with gout, but avoiding gout triggers will significantly help with your flare-ups. This blog is going to explore avoiding gout triggers by discussing the various items that can make it worse.
What Is Gout?
Let us first discuss what gout is; it is a condition that inflames your joints, particularly joints in your feet and hands.This happens when your body does not metabolizeuric acid like it should, which causes a build up around your toe joints, as well as your ankle and other joints. There are a few ways that you can improve the symptoms of gout such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other treatments, as well as avoiding gout triggers. We are going to discuss which gout triggers to avoid, helping you create a healthier meal that you and your joints will appreciate.Â
1. Avoid Alcoholic Beverages
Avoiding gout triggers such as alcoholic beverages will help your body metabolize uric acid easier. The problem with drinking alcohol is that it decreases how well your kidneys can process uric acid. If you drink alcohol, you will notice that you have a gout flare-up because there is a build up of uric acid that could not be processed adequately throughout your body. If you still want to enjoy a glass of wine or beer with your meals, consider only doing so for special occasions. This allows you to enjoy your favorite beverages still while also making sure you do not have frequent flare-ups.Â
2. Avoid Drinking Sodas
All soda beverages use something known as high fructose corn syrup, which can increase the amounts of uric acid in our bodies. If you drink soda regularly, you will notice that you have several painful flare-ups, which can take away from your time spent out or even times when you are relaxing at home. It is best to switch to diet sodas or to limit the amount of soda you drink to one twelve-ounce soda a day. Consider also drinking more water. Drinking more water will help you flush out uric acid while also providing several other great health benefits for you.Â
3. Avoid Wearing Ill-Fitting Shoes
Ill-fitting shoes can cause your feet to swell whether you have gout or not. Avoiding wearing ill-fitting shoes is important when avoiding gout triggers because tight shoes can highly aggravate your condition, making it more painful. It can also make your condition worsen over time if you continually wear ill-fitting shoes. Consider changing your shoes to orthotic shoes in order for your feet to be pain-free and help you combat gout. You can either order custom orthotics to fit your feet the best or order orthotic shoes that have plenty of room in the toe region of the shoe.Â
4. Lose Weight To Avoid Gout Flare-Ups
One of the most important things to do when avoiding gout triggers is to make sure you lose weight if you are overweight. Individuals who are overweight tend to have higher amounts of uric acid in their systems and it is not adequately processed. By exercising and losing weight, you will be able to combat the pain and swelling associated with gout while avoiding gout triggers. Many healthy diets incorporate foods that are fine for your joins as the diets avoid unhealthy foods that increase uric acid.Â
5. Avoid Dehydration
This seems simple enough, yet many people never get enough water. When you are avoiding gout triggers, make sure you avoid becoming dehydrated. You can find helpful tools that help you convert how much water you need for your body size as well as how much water you need depending on how active you are. Always increase the amount of water you drink when you are exercising to avoid further dehydration. If you are unsure how much water you need each day, set up an appointment with your doctor.Â
In Closing, Avoiding Gout Triggers Will Make You And Your Feet Happy
By avoiding gout triggers, you will be able to have a happier and healthier life. You will not have as many flare-ups, and if you do, they may not be as severe. If you are looking for orthotic shoes to help with gout, The Orthotic Shop is the place for you! Take a look around our shop to find shoes that will be perfect for you.