The first-ever gout flare-up/gout attack is unforgettable. For the uninitiated, the phrase ‘gout attack’ refers to a state of experiencing joint pain, redness, swelling and tenderness. The gout-related pain, redness, and swelling affect patients badly and quickly. The first gout flare-up tends to affect the big joint in the largest toe, but the next attacks might impact the ankle or foot. Some of the other areas it might affect are the hands, wrist, and knees.
First-line gout treatment is pretty efficacious, and it includes inflammation-reducing medication, rest, and ice therapy. A blend of changes to lifestyle and diet, plus prescription medication, is an approach described as urate-lowering therapy. It would usually be suggested in the event of the attacks recurring or getting more serious. Keep reading to know more about this form of gout treatment.
ULT For Gout
The best method of stopping the recurring and serious attacks is by reducing the levels of uric acid in the blood to under 6 mg/dL. In this situation, ULT would start to have a use. The new ULT-related guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology, recommend using the therapy mainly for individuals with multiple gout attacks yearly, well as, those who experience joint damage due to gouty arthritis. It is important to continue using ULT even if gout attacks subside. Below, we will explore every single component of ULT.
Lifestyle And Diet
Some of the changes that could just aid in reducing the acid levels in the blood are as follows.
- Reducing or eliminating the consumption of shellfish and meat, as these products are likely to increase the acidic levels.
- Reducing the consumption of not just the products produced with glucose-fructose but also alcohol.
- Drinking much water each day. The process of being dehydrated can cause acid levels to go up.
- Manging the body weight, because gout is associated with too much weight.
Medicine
Diet alone rarely reduces the levels of the gout-causing acid enough, so gout patients usually require prescription drugs. It possibly takes many days to even some months for gout medication to start to show effects. Xanthine oxidase inhibitor drugs such as allopurinol and febuxostat, are the most commonly used products. Individuals who have recently experienced a heart attack or have heart disease must use an alternative to febuxostat, as per the new ACR guidelines.
