Steps To Deal With Gout Has Progressed
August 10th, 2010 by aviaschoolAugust 10
Steps to treat gout has progressed
EILEEN CIPRIANI Times Leader correspondent
For more than 4,000 years, humankind has documented individuals suffering from the effects of gout.

Treatment and facts about Gout
See a physician for gout symptoms, even if they subside.
Monitoring your diet and weight will help manage gout symptoms.
Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
For more about gout, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gout/DS00090
Known as the Disease of Kings or Rich Mans Disease because of its association with rich foods and excessive alcohol consumption, many famous individuals in history, including Benjamin Franklin and King Henry VIII, suffered from its painful symptoms. It was not until the middle of the 20th century with advancements in the understanding of uric acid biochemistry and the development of medications such as Allopurinol to treat hyperuricemia that significant progress has been made in treating gout.
It is very common for patients to just treat the symptoms when they have an acute attack, says Dr. David Michael Pugliese, a rheumatologist with Geisinger Health System.
Gout is a long-term chronic disease and needs to be treated, says Pugliese.
Taylor resident Edward Hudzina, 80, has been plagued with the ailment for 50 years. I would get a good bout about twice a year, the pain is terrific. You dont know what to do with yourself.
Gout is a form of arthritis, says Dr. Martin Blidner, a rheumatologist at the Arthritis Center of Northeast PA, Wilkes-Barre Township.
Gout occurs when a patient has an elevated level of uric acid in the blood and crystals collect in a body joint, causing pain. The most common site is the big toe. Repeated gout attacks can cause damaged joints, leading to the onset of osteoarthritis in those areas. Untreated, the elevated uric acid levels can lead to kidney disease, says Pugliese.
Alcohol is one of the biggest triggers of an attack, says Blidner. Other triggers are certain medications, such as diuretics; dehydration; and a high consumption of foods rich in purines, such as shellfish, organ meats and sweetbreads. A family history of gout is another factor, says Blidner. Gout is also more common in males and generally occurs after age 40, when kidney function declines.
Today, with more than 5 million Americans experiencing the painful ailment, a new medication, Uloric, has been approved by the FDA. Uloric is especially effective in patients who were allergic or did not respond well to traditional treatments.
Uloric works by blocking an enzyme called xanthine oxidase. This helps prevent uric acid production and lowers uric acid levels.
Hudzina used pain medications to deal with gout episodes for years. Last year, he was prescribed Uloric by Pugliese.
So far, so good, says Hudzina, who has not had an episode of gout since he began treatment.
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