Sunday, June 15, 2008

Cherries Can Relieve Gout Pain


Gout is a systemic disease that is caused by the buildup of uric acid in the joints. After time, the uric acid crystallizes and deposits itself into the joints causing swelling, stiffness, inflammation and pain. Heredity plays a role in who gets this condition. People with diabetes, sickle cell anemia, regular alcohol consumption and obesity are all at risk of getting painful gout.

The pharmaceutical companies have come out with quite a few prescription medicines to try and relieve the pain from gout. Some of them include Colchicine which relieves gout symptoms for approximately 75% of people who take them.

For frequent bouts of gout, you can have your physician prescribe Allopurinol (Zyloprim, Aloprim) and probenecid (Benemid) which would have to be taken daily. Low daily doses of colchicine can also prevent an outbreak of gout.

Other anti-inflammatory drugs such as Indocin, naproxen, ibuprofen also relieve some of the swelling and pain. For some people who can not take a nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory or Colchicine your physician may prescribe prednisone.

Most of these drugs perform well but they do cost money, and who doesn't like to save money.

A cheaper and more pleasant way to treat gout is by eating approximately 10 dried or fresh sweet cherries twice a day when you feel gout pain coming on. The symptoms should subside with 36 to 48 hours sometimes even sooner. Continue to eat the cherries twice a day for 2 more days or until the pain has gone.

As a preventive option, eat approximately 6 to 8 cherries every day to keep gout at bay.

You can buy Benemid here

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