Hippocrates also mentioned a disease such as gout - signs and treatment in women and men he described in his works, paying attention to changes in cartilage tissues of the joints of the big toe. And in the final result, it was concluded that this is a chronic ailment that leads to a disruption of metabolism and damage to internal organs.
Causes of gout in women
In order to answer questions about what is gout, what are the signs and treatment for women, one should understand the cause of the pathology. In the people it is called a disease of aristocrats and kings, because very often it arises from the unreasonable consumption of harmful food and drink. In such cases, urate salts (uric acid) are deposited and accumulate in the joints.
Currently, gout is rare. It affects three people out of 1000. In women, the disease manifests itself after the onset of menopause (in the sixth decade). Until this time, representatives of the fair sex from a problem situation save estrogens, which remove uric acid from the body. Urates stimulate mental activity and help develop hidden talents.
When the diagnosis of gout is made, the reasons can be as follows:
- kidneys do not have time to cope with a huge amount of uric acid ;
- urate salts are thrown out within acceptable limits, but the kidneys can not infer them.
To provoke the disease can:
- diabetes;
- infectious and inflammatory processes;
- hormonal failure .
Predisposing factors to the occurrence of gout in women, even at a young age are:
- cardiovascular diseases ;
- binge eating;
- heredity.
Signs of gout in women
Symptoms of the disease manifest in an attack of gouty arthritis , it is an inflammation of the joint. An attack of sudden pressing pain is felt by a woman at night or early in the morning. The affected place will be:
- swell;
- shiny;
- blush;
- feel hot.
During the day, the symptoms will be less noticeable, and by the night will increase again. When gout disease symptoms can last from 3 to 7 days, sometimes longer. At the next attack in the painful process, other joints may be involved, which leads to their partial destruction. In the area of lesions, outgrowths (tofus) are formed, which often burst. In this case, the person will see whitish crystals of urate.
When diagnosed with gout, signs and treatment in women depend on the degree of the disease:
- The initial stage - in this case there are no external changes, but the level of uric acid in the body is markedly increased. The woman in this case can feel pain in the abdomen and joints, the urge to urinate, she has insomnia.
- The second stage is characterized by acute attacks. Patients develop general weakness, nausea and chills. After about a week, the symptoms go away, and the health condition is normalized.
- Third degree - in this situation, the woman has no seizures, she feels well, but this calm can be dangerous. The level of urate several times exceeds the norm and constantly accumulates in the body.
- The last stage - already passes into a chronic form, and nodular formations appear not only in the joints, but also in the tendons. If the problem does not start promptly, then the consequences can be dangerous.
Gout on the hands
In a chronic stage, a woman can experience intense pain in outgrowths that have an unaesthetic appearance. In case of gout disease, symptoms are manifested in the form of an inflammatory process, which prevents the representatives of the weaker sex from leading a full life. During an exacerbation the body temperature rises to 39-40 degrees, and painkillers do not bring relief.
Gout on legs
This disease is very often manifested on the legs. With each attack of pain with gout decrease, but the joint will lose mobility. If during the movement you hear a crunch, then know that an irreversible process of deformation has begun. Tofus begin to form on the foot, knee, ankle or on the thumb, and then will grow throughout the body, hitting the upper limbs and ears. Inflammatory processes cause renal colic, which can lead to fatal outcomes.
Gout - how to treat?
Before starting treatment for gout in women, the doctor recommends a comprehensive examination, including:
- ultrasonography;
- blood and urine tests;
- electrocardiogram;
- magnetic resonance imaging.
The treatment of this disease is rheumatologist. In case of violations of mobility of joints, you can consult an orthopedist. To select drugs for a severe attack, patients are hospitalized. In the hospital there are 2 main stages:
- interruption of exacerbation;
- normalization of metabolism.
Is it possible to cure gout forever?
In order to answer the popular question of patients about whether it is possible to cure gout completely, it is necessary to know what stage of the disease in women has developed at the moment. In the initial stages, the situation can be changed radically, if you follow a prescribed diet, go through a course of treatment and lead a healthy lifestyle. In a neglected case, a specialist can facilitate the patient's condition and reduce the number of urates.
Attack of gout - what to do?
If you experience a gout attack, you can not immediately remove the pain, you can only reduce their effect. When patients begin to feel the first symptoms of exacerbation, they need:
- Apply ice (very cold water) or compress with ointment (Dimexid, Vishnevsky) to a sore spot.
- Lay the pillow under the inflamed joint.
- Use at least 2 liters of liquid (mineral water, jelly or milk).
- Observe a diet that consists of liquid cereals and vegetable broths.
- Seek medical advice.
Preparations for gout
You can take a cure for gout only after consulting a specialist who will prescribe a course of drugs, considering:
- age;
- stage;
- features of the organism;
- anamnesis.
Treatment involves a minimum of 5 different procedures, and the course is prescribed for 3-6 weeks. Therapy includes:
- NSAIDs ( non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ) - they relieve painful sensations (Metindol, Ibuprom, Voltaren);
- Urikozuric drugs with gout - reduce the amount of uric acid (Anturan, Ketason, Butadion);
- Corticosteroid hormones - inhibit inflammation and are released in the form of injections and tablets (Prednisolone, Triamcinolone, Dexamethasone).
Hirudotherapy for gout
Additional treatment for the main purposes can be hirudotherapy. Leeches with gout suck up with blood and uric acid. The course lasts from 5 to 6 sessions and depends on the state of your body. Saliva of annelid worms improves metabolism, removes slags, splits connective tissues and optimizes blood circulation. Before using them, consult your doctor.
Gout - treatment with folk remedies
In order to alleviate their condition with a disease such as gout, treatment at home can include:
- meditation;
- relaxation;
- massage.
Treatment of gout with folk methods consists of such procedures as:
- pain relief with iodine, which must be dissolved with baking soda in warm water and applied to the inflamed area;
- urine therapy - in it it is necessary to soar tofuys daily;
- the use of decoction of cowberries;
- Compression of wine vinegar and red clay;
- Treatment of affected joints with a mixture of Aspirin and iodine.
Nutrition for gout
Dietary menu for gout is one of the ways of treatment. It is necessary to eat small portions 4-5 times a day and drink up to 3 liters of water a day. Fasting with this disease is strictly prohibited, because it can lead to a sharp increase in uric acid and its combination with blood. To consume any alcoholic beverages is undesirable, and red wine is forbidden.
Patients should exclude from their diet:
- salt;
- condiments;
- liver;
- kidney;
- sorrel;
- radish;
- beans.
- fresh fruit (especially useful citrus) and vegetables (garlic, potatoes, beets, eggplants and so on);
- eggs;
- white poultry meat;
- seafood;
- nuts and seeds;
- bakery products from whole grains, rye and white flour;
- dairy products;
- vegetarian soups.
Gout and its complications
If you have another exacerbation of gout, then you should know that this disease has serious complications. The most dangerous of them are:
- Repeated attacks - a woman can experience painful feelings several times a year. This is due to non-compliance with diet and prevention.
- The defeat of a large number of areas of the body with tofusi , which are formed in the internal organs. The latter are very difficult to detect, therefore it is impossible to cure.
- The appearance of kidney stones. Uric acid accumulates in them and urate pathologies are formed. In advanced cases, the internal bean-shaped organs begin to fail and dry out. Patients may experience clinical death.