SOLOPOS.COM – Illustration of people experiencing high uric acid (Freepik)
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Solopos.com, SOLO-There are a number of facts related to gout that need to be known, not only as a condition that can cause pain, swelling, and burning sensation in the joint area. This disease occurs due to excessive production of uric acid (purine metabolism), decreased excretion in the kidneys or a combination of both, and can attack all joints of the body.
Generally, gout is easier to attack men, especially those aged 30 years and over, and attacks women after menopause. Then what is the similarity with rheumatism? Check out the review in healthy info this time.
Internal medicine specialist, dr. RA Adaninggar, SpPD and dr Sandra Sinthya Langow, SpPD-KR explained that there is actually a difference between gout and rheumatism. According to them, rheumatic disease is an inflammatory disease of the joints with various causes. For example, degenerative, autoimmune or non-autoimmune inflammation. In gout, arthritis occurs due to the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints due to excessive uric acid in the body.
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“So, not all arthritis is gout, we still have to look for other possible causes,” they explained through their Instagram page @drningz and @sandrasinthya, as quoted from Bisnis.com on Wednesday (10/11/2021).
Rheumatic disease is a dangerous disease, so it must be handled properly. If you show symptoms of rheumatism, you should immediately see a doctor and not do self-medication because the treatment of various rheumatic conditions is very different.
Gout can occur in both men and women when there is an excess of uric acid production/purine metabolism and/or there is a disturbance in the removal of uric acid from the kidneys. Although it can occur in both men and women, men are 10 times more likely to develop gout than young women. This is because in premenopausal women, the presence of the hormone estrogen can increase the disposal of uric acid in the kidneys. But in postmenopausal women, the risk of gout will increase, just like men.
“If there are women of childbearing age with high uric acid, they should look for causes of diseases that increase uric acid production or impaired kidney function,” they suggested.
Gout can occur at any age if there is an excess of uric acid production/purine metabolism and/or there is impaired excretion of uric acid from the kidneys. Excess production of uric acid/purine metabolism can occur due to genetic disorders of purine metabolism enzymes, blood disorders, injury, or surgery that increases cell destruction, and eating foods high in uric acid. Meanwhile, uric acid disorders in the kidneys can occur due to impaired kidney function, the use of certain drugs and metabolic diseases or hormonal disorders.
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Is it true that eating green vegetables can make gout relapse? Kale and spinach are often thought to be the cause of gout. In fact, according to Dr. Ning and Dr. Sandra, the scientific facts are not like that. “Green vegetables are not high in purines,” they said. High-purine foods that you should limit are offal, red meat, sugary drinks and alcohol. Does gout only attack the joints? Joint pain is the main symptom of a gout attack.
However, diseases caused by high uric acid are not only related to joint pain and joint damage. Chronic high uric acid can also cause kidney problems and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. Therefore, it is very important to control uric acid levels to reach normal values to prevent complications.
Is diet alone enough to treat high uric acid? Food regulation is very important in high uric acid patients. In addition to helping lower uric acid, dietary regulation can prevent obesity, hypertension, and diabetes that often occur along with high uric acid. However, according to them, diet alone is not enough, especially in conditions of very high uric acid. According to data from the Gout and Uric Acid Education Society, even with a super-strict diet, uric acid levels only drop 1 mg/dl. Treatment with uric acid-lowering drugs such as allopurinol is still needed to maintain uric acid levels below 6 mg/dl.
The next fact related to gout is a matter of handling which is divided into two. First, treatment of acute attacks with painkillers. Second, uric acid-lowering drugs to achieve uric acid levels below 6 mg/dl continuously. Painkillers will usually be discontinued when the pain improves. However, uric acid-lowering drugs, such as allopurinol or febuxostat, should be used long-term to maintain normal uric acid levels.
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“Don’t be afraid to use uric acid-lowering drugs because these drugs don’t damage the kidneys. Conversely, if you do not take uric acid-lowering drugs, high uric acid levels can damage the kidneys. It can be direct, and it can also cause kidney stones,” they explained.
Many people think that gout is not dangerous because the symptoms are only joint pain. In fact, if gout is not treated properly, it will cause joint and other organ damage. In chronic gout disease, joints can experience erosion, joint deformities occur which can be accompanied by impaired joint function. The key to preventing complications due to high uric acid is to achieve uric acid levels below 6 mg/dl continuously. Lifestyle changes such as a low-purine diet, regular exercise, drinking and continuous uric acid-lowering drugs can prevent complications due to high uric acid.
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