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Tophi gout is that painful stage in gout where horrible-looking ‘lumps’ appear at the joints. And if left untreated they can cause some serious issues. Luckily, there are drugs that can help, but they can have side effects, and, they need to be taken regularly. But, there are natural treatment alternatives for tophi gout you should discuss with your doctor.
Tophi (tophaceous) gout is caused by the build-up of uric acid salts (monosodium urate crystals) in and around the joints affected by gout. This usually happens as a result of prolonged, frequent, and repetitive gout attacks arising from elevated uric acid levels in the bloodstream.
They are normally seen as chalky-colored, bulging lumps under the skin at the joint(s) affected. And although by far the most common joint for gout is the big toe, tophi can appear in almost any joint. They can also be seen at the ear ridges.
Apart from the fact that they are horrible and unsightly, untreated tophi can eventually lead to serious complications such as permanently damage to joints and surrounding tissue. They can also become ulcerated and septic, so septicemia is a possibility that would need urgent medical attention.
Since tophi is caused by continuously elevated uric acid levels, the key is to reduce those levels and keep them at a level that prevents tophi forming. Of course, this also means that recurring gout attacks are prevented.
There are various drugs available (such as allopurinol) that can help to lower and maintain uric acid at healthier levels. And they seem to work pretty well. But, they are only effective whilst being taken. Once they are stopped there is nothing to prevent uric acid levels rising again. Which is why many sufferers end up taking them for years on end. And, unfortunately, they do have some nasty side effects for many people.
Which is why more and more people are turning to more natural alternatives to get rid of tophi gout. There are many natural remedies that can help to neutralize and lower uric acid levels. There are also remedies that have natural anti-inflammatory properties. Typical are herbs such as alfalfa, burdoch and buchu. Also things like natural kidney cleanses.
But underpinning the whole natural approach is your diet. Since uric acid is actually produced by the breakdown of purines in our bodies and food, gout sufferers, and especially those with tophi gout, need to go on a low-purine diet. Otherwise you are just producing more and more uric acid which your kidneys can’t process and excrete efficiently enough.
Dietary information is too detailed to go into here but, generally speaking, gout victims need to avoid high-purine foods within the following groups; red meats, gravy, meat extracts, poultry, fish, shellfish, vegetables, etc. plus, yeast products and alcohol.
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Source by John Cielo
