If you ever go through a gout attack, all you will be able to think about is how to end it as quickly as possible. This article will tell you all you should know about how long does a gout attack last, what you can do to treat them and prevent their recurrence.
What are the 4 stages of gout?
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis, which results from high uric acid levels in the blood.
When uric acid is high, it forms uric acid crystals in your joints. As time passes, these crystals build up and cause joint pain and other gout symptoms.
During its course, gout can develop in 4 stages or phases. These stages include:
- Asymptomatic hyperuricemia. The first stage, in which uric acid levels rise above the normal range, but symptoms are not present yet.
- Acute gouty arthritis. The most critical stage, in which gout attacks happen and symptoms are most pronounced.
- Inter-critical gout. This phase starts right after a gout attack ends. At this time, gout symptoms and signs get better and easier to manage.
- Chronic (tophaceous) gout. The most developed, long-term stage of gout, in which you may develop lumps under the skin near the joints. These lumps are known as tophi.
Gout is more often seen in men than in women, and usually develops around the ages of 30 to 50.
What is a gout attack?
A gout attack or gout flare is the acute worsened stage of gout. During a gout attack, the uric acid in the blood builds up to extremely high levels. For this reason, the inflammation in the body reaches its peak and the joint pain becomes excruciating.
A gout attack will usually target your big toe at first, but it can also affect your heel, knee or the shoulder and other joints in your body.
What are the symptoms of a gout attack?
When a gout attack is happening, the gout symptoms and signs become very noticeable and difficult to deal with. These symptoms and signs in the affected joint include:
- An excruciating joint pain
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Warmth of the joint
- Decreased ability to move the joint
So, for how long do you have to cope with these changes?
Gout attack duration
An acute gout attack starts quickly with a burning feeling in your joint (usually big toe), before the pain kicks in. The pain becomes severe within a day of attack onset and it reaches its maximum intensity 24 hours after the attack starts.
A gout attack makes your joint feel like “it is on fire”. Moreover, something as little as touching or moving your joint adds to the pain. Gout flares are more common at night, when cortisol levels are low.
The acute gout attack starts to ease off after 5 to 12 days, even without treatment. However, for some patients, complete resolution may take a few weeks or months.
According to a study, around 60% of the patients experience a second attack within one year and 80% within three years after the first attack. Without treatment, attacks become more frequent and last longer.
The season of spring has been suggested to be associated with an increase in gout attack frequency.
What triggers gout?
A gout attack can be precipitated by various factors, which cause a quick increase in uric acid levels. These factors include:
- Local trauma
- Alcohol
- Overeating or fasting
- Weight changes
- Use of diuretics
- Use of urate-lowering drugs, such as allopurinol
- Operations and severe medical illnesses
What is the quickest way to get rid of gout?
So, is there any way to ease the unbearable acute gout pain? We say yes! Read along to find out authentic methods that you can use at home to relieve the pain and feel much better within minutes.
10 minute gout cure: Dr. Elix gout pain relief
Dr. Elix’s gout pain relief is a 100% natural gout pain medication, which allows to gout patients getting rid of gout pain within minutes. It is very effective in decreasing the frequency of gout attacks and preventing them.
Dr.Elix’s remedy provides immediate gout pain relief and fast gout attack control. It achieves these goals thanks to its powerful abilities to:
- Fight inflammation and infections.
- Break up and dissolve uric acid crystals.
- Promote joint tissues fast healing.
- Prevent injured tissues fibrosis.
- Fight free radicals.
Due to its powerful healing effects, Dr. Elix gout pain relief topical treatment is also a great option for the long-term management of gout attacks and chronic gout.
We recommend Dr.Elix’s gout remedy as it has been proven to improve gout sufferers’ life quality and protect them from further complications.
Natural treatment for gout
Natural remedies for gout are effective ways to get rid of gout pain fast and control a gout attack. Apart from being effective, they are easily accessible even at your own home! Relieve gout pain and other gout symptoms at your comfort by:
- Using Dr. Elix’s gout pain medication.
- Putting ice packs covered with a cloth to your joint.
- Soaking your joint in a cold-water bath
- Resting your joints during the flare (and not moving them!).
- Elevating your joints with a pillow underneath.
Does soaking in hot water help gout?
Soaking your joint in a warm water bath gets more blood to your joint. This could potentially make gout pain easier to deal with. Though, warm water is only recommended for use after a few days have passed since the start of the gout attack. This is the time when the intensity of the inflammation is not very high.
Read more on: Immediate Gout Pain Relief Best Option By Dr. Elix
Treat and prevent gout attacks
Lifestyle and diet changes are necessary to prevent frequent gout attacks from happening in the future. This means that you should be ready to change the way you live, eat and drink, and maintain these changes.
These changes, combined with Dr. Elix gout pain relief treatment and the natural home remedies we mentioned, can help you treat gout and prevent repeated gout attacks to occur.
What drink gets rid of gout?
In order to treat gout and prevent future attacks, you need to include healthier drinks to your gout diet and eliminate others. What are the top picks for drinks that you should drink to get rid of gout?
- Water: Water helps your body flush out uric acid by signaling the kidneys to produce more urine. During a gout attack, it is advised to drink up to 16 glasses of water a day.
- Squeezed lemon, turmeric and apple cider vinegar mixed with water. This mixture stimulates the release of alkaline substances from the pancreas, neutralizing uric acid in the blood.
- Tart Cherry juice. Contains anthocyanins, substances which reduce inflammation and greatly help reduce gout pain during and after an attack.
- Skimmed milk, Teas (Hibiscus, Nettle tea, Dandelion) and Coffee. Similar to water, these have the ability to help the kidney flush out excess uric acid from the body.
Which foods reduce uric acid?
The foods that lower uric acid levels are usually very low in purines and contain beneficial substances which fight inflammation in different ways.
- Cherries. Contain anthocyanins, powerful anti-inflammatory substances.
- Onions. Contain flavonoids, substances which block the production of uric acid.
- Potatoes. Are very low in purines, contributing in decreasing the production of uric acid.
- Cucumbers. Are made up almost entirely of water, which helps flush out uric acid with urine.
- Ginger root. Is anti-inflammatory, reduces pain and swelling, and can be used when cooking or mixed with water.
- Celery seeds. Contain luteolin, a urate-reducing substance.
What are the 10 foods that trigger gout?
If you suffer from gout, you should know that there are foods and drinks that may worsen your condition. These foods and drinks are rich in purines and sugar, and contribute to triggering gout attacks by increasing uric acid levels. Foods and drinks that we suggest you should avoid include:
- Sweetened drinks (such as sodas, fruit juices and high-fructose corn syrup)
- Alcoholic drinks, especially beer and liquor
- Meats, such as red meat (beef, lamb meat, and pork), organ meats (brain, liver, kidney) and turkey meat
- Seafood, such as shellfish and fish (trout, haddock, cod, sardines)
- Tomatoes
- Yeast
- Gravy and various meat sauces.
Gout medicine
There are medications which can ease your gout pain and may be used only in doses recommended by your doctor. Gout medications include the following painkillers:
- Over-the-counter medicines, such as NSAIDs (Tylenol, indomethacin, etc.)
- Corticosteroids, such as Prednisone.
- Colchicine
Your doctor may prescribe for you additional medications to treat your gout long-term and prevent complications. These medications come with their own side effects and include:
- Xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors, such as Allopurinol.
- Uricosurics, such as Probenecid.
Should I walk with gout?
As a gout attack is happening, you should definitely try to walk as little as possible. This is because walking or any other form of exercise puts pressure on the joints, resulting in even more pain during a gout attack. The Arthritis Foundation strongly recommends you rest and elevate your joint until the attack ends.
After a gout attack has ended, feel free to start walking and exercising again! Physical activities have an excellent effect in improving gout pain after a gout attack. But you should keep in mind that you start slowly and increase the load on your joints gradually for the best effects.
Takeaways
A gout attack or gout flare is the acute worsening stage of gout. It is characterized by high uric acid levels, peak inflammation and an excruciating joint pain.
A gout flare up starts quickly with a burning feeling in your big toe, before the pain kicks in. The pain reaches its maximum intensity 24 hours after the attack starts. An acute gout attack usually lasts for 5 to 12 days. In some patients, complete resolution may take a few weeks or months. Without treatment, attacks become more frequent and last longer.
One of the best methods to ease the pain quickly is using Dr. Elix gout pain relief. It can be combined with natural home remedies, diet and lifestyle changes to treat gout attacks and chronic gout. You may also opt for various gout medicines, as advised by your doctor.
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