5 Tips for Preventing a Gout Flare-Up Over the Holidays

As we approach Christmas and New Year’s, the holiday season is in full swing. Chances are, you’ve been enjoying days off, the company of family and friends, and sumptuous feasts since Thanksgiving. 

While more than a few of us may need to deal with a few post-holiday extra pounds, the rich and delicious treats of the season can lead to gout flare-ups for a select few. Caused by a build-up of uric acid in the bloodstream, gout is an extremely painful inflammatory condition that usually affects the foot. 

The team at Mastrocco Foot & Ankle wants to help you assure your holidays are pain-free. Today, we’ve prepared a gout primer for you, as well as a list of five tips to help you sidestep a flare-up that might otherwise interfere with your personal celebrations. Here’s what you need to know.

The basics of gout

Most often affecting the joint at the base of your big toe, gout is an inflammatory arthritic condition caused by uric acid crystals, a byproduct of digestion of purines, chemicals found in certain foods. 

Normally, your kidneys filter uric acid from your blood, eliminating it from your body in your urine. Sometimes, uric acid forms faster than your kidneys can eliminate it. When your blood is oversaturated with uric acid, crystals begin to collect in lower joints like the big toe and ankle. 

Symptoms include: 

• Extreme pain
• Redness
• Swelling
• Joint stiffness
• Feelings of warmth, often described by patients as the joint is on fire
• Extreme tenderness in the joint, reacting to light touch

Without intervention, a gout attack typically lasts for one to two weeks. Men are more prone to gout than women. 

Gout is usually treated with a mix of medications for both acute care and chronic uric acid control as well as dietary modifications to limit purine intake. 

5 tips for preventing a gout flare-up over the holidays

If you’re prone to gout, you could already have insights into what works for you. If you’ve been prescribed a medicine to control uric acid levels, like allopurinol or febuxostat, make sure you’re stocked up and using the medication as directed. 

These tips can help you lower the impact of purines and uric acid on your body: 

1. Stay hydrated: keeping your water intake up improves the efficiency of your kidneys
2. Know and avoid foods high in purines: these include pork, red meat, turkey, shellfish, and organ meat
3. Limit sugar intake: there’s a two-way relationship between high blood sugar and uric acid, so avoid sweet treat overdose
4. Manage your stress: the holidays can be busy and hectic, so remember to build in some quiet time
5. Avoid alcohol: while the phrase goes, “eat, drink, and be merry,” alcohol bumps uric acid down the list for processing by your kidneys

Keeping active and maintaining a healthy sleep schedule are two everyday strategies for good health that sometimes get lost in the holiday shuffle. Maintaining your normal health routine as much as you can also helps to stabilize your uric acid levels. 

Contact Mastracco Foot & Ankle in North Canton, Ohio, if gout sneaks its way into your holiday schedule. We can help get you back on your feet fast, as well as helping you with a gout management plan moving forward. 

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Dominick Mastracco and his team online or by phone today.