Gout used to be hardly heard of, but now it’s very common among many people. They used to say gout was the rich man’s disease because they believed that only the rich could eat high fatty and rich foods. That is not the case anymore. Gout can affect anyone. It is more common in men than in women, but there are many women who are also suffering from gout.

Your first question might be what is gout? Gout is a very painful condition that happens when you have high levels of uric acid. The uric acid forms on your joints like little crystals. It causes the joints to become swollen and pain sets in. You will also have stiffness and swelling. In some people, but not all people the gout usually begins in their big toe. It swells and then it affects the rest of your foot. The gout can and may move up your leg to your knee making it near impossible to even walk. Sometimes gout can even get into your hands and fingers. Gout is not prejudice and it can affect your body pretty much anywhere.

Your next question might be what is uric acid? Uric acid is the substance that comes from the breakdown of purines. Purines are found in many foods. When you have a lot of uric acid and your body isn’t getting rid of it fast enough the uric acid will start to form crystals in your joints. This is when your toe, foot and legs start the swelling and the pain sets in. You will come to recognize this pain because it is so painful and you will want to do all you can to avoid this pain in the future.

What can you do about high purines? You need to limit the intake of foods with high amounts of purines in them and restrict them as much as possible in your diet. There are many foods high in purines. Some of these foods are red meat, organ meats, seafood, scallops, sweets and alcohol. These foods have very high levels of purines and you need to avoid them. You can try slowly doing this. Some of these foods may not affect your gout and you will learn which ones will or will not bring on a gout attack.

Can I still eat what I used to eat? That is probably your main question. The answer is probably not. You can eat things in very low limits. If you see that seafood kicks off that gout, do you really want to deal with the pain and swelling? If not, then you will want to avoid seafood. If you limit your intake of high uric acid foods you should be on your way to lowering uric acid levels in your body.

You will be able to live a normal and active life. You will learn about purines, uric acid and your gout. It’s a learning process. Take baby steps in your journey of gout and take notes about what foods affect you and what doesn’t. You will have your gout under control and live and normal everyday life just like everyone else.