How to Prevent Gout and Future Flares

Modifying your diet, way of life, and medicine regimen may be the best strategy to stop gout from forming or lessen the likelihood of flare-ups.

An excruciating kind of inflammatory arthritis is gout. Although it's a chronic illness, there may be periods when symptoms escalate, known as flares.

Certain risk factors could increase your susceptibility to gout. Nevertheless, flares can be controlled and prevented.

Making the following adjustments may be helpful if you have gout and wish to avoid flare-ups in the future, or if you are at risk of developing gout.

Dietary changes to prevent gout flares

The accumulation of uric acid in the body causes gout. We refer to this as hyperuricemia. Some persons develop sharp crystals in their joints as a result of high uric acid levels. While some hyperuricemia sufferers experience gout, others do not.

Your body's production of uric acid can be influenced by the foods and beverages you consume. Purines are found in several foods, and these cause the body to produce more uric acid.

Consuming a diet strong in purines raises your risk of getting gout. Consuming a diet low in purines may offer protection against gout and its excruciating flare-ups.

Here are some meals and beverages that are high in purines and low in purines.

Low purine items	High purine items
water coffee cherries and cherry juice skim milk and other dairy products that are low in fat or fat-free whole grain dishes such as quinoa and muesli nuts and nut butter devoid of sugar high-fat foods, such as beef and gravy	red meat, like beef organ meat, like liver game meat, like venison and duck Drinks with alcohol, such as beer foods that have high fructose corn syrup in them shellfish, such as oysters, mussels, prawns and scallops certain seafood varieties, such as anchovies, mackerel, and herring

Lifestyle changes to prevent gout flares

The following advice is suggested by experts to avoid gout flare-ups:

• Consume a balanced diet low in purines.
• It could be beneficial to lose some weight if you are obese or overweight.
• Exercise helps people lose weight by burning calories. Additionally, it will lessen the strain on your joints. You might attempt low-impact activities like walking, biking, and swimming.
• Cut back on the beer or hard liquor you consume.
• Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic, non-sugary beverages to stay hydrated. Fluids assist in removing uric acid from your system.

Can treating sleep apnea help with gout?

According to some studies, addressing sleep apnea—a disorder that interferes with breathing while you sleep—may also assist with gout.

Although the exact connection between these two illnesses is unknown, doctors believe oxygen loss, or hypoxia is a factor. Less oxygen reaches body tissues during sleep apnea episodes. Damage to the surrounding tissue may raise uric acid levels, which could result in hyperuricemia.

According to a 2021 study, uric acid levels were lowered when sleep apnea was treated with a CPAP machine.

Changes to medications to prevent gout flares

Several pharmaceutical drugs are available to assist manage and avoid gout flare-ups. However, some might make gout more likely for you.

Medications that treat gout

Anti-inflammatories for gout flare-ups include the following to lessen pain and inflammation:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications sold over-the-counter (OTC), such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve)
• prescription anti-inflammatory medications, such as Celebrex (celecoxib)
• injectable or oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• colchicine

A medical practitioner may also recommend the following medications to prevent or lessen the accumulation of uric acid:

• febuxostat (Uloric)
• probenecid (Probalan)
• allopurinol (Aloprim, Lopurin, Zyloprim)

Medications that can trigger gout

Certain drugs may cause uric acid accumulation, which raises the risk of gout flare-ups. The two most popular ones are aspirin and diuretics.

Your body retains less fluid when you use diuretics. For ailments including congestive heart failure or elevated blood pressure, doctors may prescribe them.

Low-dose aspirin is widely used as a daily over-the-counter medication to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Other drugs or dietary supplements that could aggravate gout and hyperuricemia include:

• chemotherapy drugs
• immunosuppressants
• antituberculosis drugs
• lactate infusions
• vitamin B3

Seek medical advice if you're taking any drugs that raise your risk of developing gout. Your prescription might be changed to one that doesn't have this side effect if they can.

FAQs

Can you stop gout before it starts?

Complex carbs like whole grains and beans, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy are all part of a healthy diet that can help avoid gout. Avoiding specific foods is another aspect of a gout-preventive diet. These include Meat, especially organ meats like liver and game meats like deer.

Is gout permanent or curable?

Gout cannot be cured, but it can be successfully treated and managed using medicine and self-care techniques.

How do you stop gout from coming on?

Limiting the amount of high-purine foods and beverages you consume is the best method to prevent gout. To prevent dehydration and support improved kidney function, make sure you consume lots of water.

Takeaway

One form of inflammatory arthritis called gout is brought on by an overabundance of uric acid in the body. Modifying your diet, such as switching to a low-purine diet, may help lower your risk of getting gout or experiencing flare-ups in the future.

Modest weight maintenance and regular exercise are two other lifestyle adjustments that can help lower your chances. Additionally, you might want to see a doctor to see if any of your drugs are increasing your risk of gout flare-ups.