What is gout and how to cure it

Not Medical Advice: Gout is described by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness and tenderness in joints, often at the base of the big toe. Medications for gout include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), colchicine, corticosteroids, medications to prevent gout complications, medications that block uric acid production such as xanthine oxidase inhibitors, including allopurinol (Aloprim, Lopurin, Zyloprim) and febuxostat (Uloric), and medication that improves uric acid removal.

Gout occurs when too much uric acid builds up in the body and it can lead to sharp uric acid crystal deposits in joints, often in the big toe; deposits of uric acid (called tophi) that look like lumps under the skin; and kidney stones from uric acid crystals in the kidneys. For most people, the first attack of gout happen in the big toe. The toe becomes sore, warm, red and swollen.

Some of the symptoms of gout are intense joint pain, inflammation and redness, fever, nodule(tophi), and red/purplish skin.

These are some dietary guidelines that may help protect against future gout attacks: keep your fluid intake high, drink from 8 to 16 cups of fluid each day; limit or avoid alcohol; eat a balanced diet; get your protein from low-fat dairy products; limit your intake of meat, fish and poultry; and maintain a desirable body weight.

The American College of Rheumatology announced that 8 million Americans have gout - nearly 6% of men and 2% of women in 2011.