"How Should Patients with Gout Manage and Regulate Their Condition?"

Gout and High Uric Acid Regulation

Gout is associated with high uric acid levels in the body, typically caused by either excessive uric acid production or reduced uric acid excretion. The deposition of excessive sodium urate crystals in joints, periarticular tissues, or subcutaneous areas can lead to acute or chronic gouty arthritis. Long-term high uric acid levels can also contribute to chronic kidney damage. So, how should gout patients regulate their condition?

Dietary Adjustments

Firstly, attention should be paid to diet. Gout patients must be particularly mindful of their daily diet, as dietary control is a crucial step in preventing gout attacks. Since 20% of blood uric acid in gout patients comes from food, controlling one's diet can help reduce uric acid production to a certain extent. In daily meals, avoid high-purine foods such as animal viscera, rich broths, meat extracts, and seafood. Limit consumption of hard-to-digest soy products and spicy, irritant foods. Abstain from alcoholic beverages, particularly beer. It is recommended to consume fresh fruits and vegetables and alkaline foods, which aid in alkalizing urine and preventing gout flare-ups.

Hydration for Excretion

Secondly, drink plenty of water to promote excretion. Gout patients should aim to drink 2000-3000 milliliters of water daily, as increased water intake enhances uric acid excretion. Plain water and alkaline soda water are ideal choices. Avoid stimulating drinks like strong tea, coffee, and carbonated beverages.

Exercise and Weight Management

Thirdly, engage in physical activity and maintain a healthy weight. Gout patients can perform moderate aerobic exercises like brisk walking and jogging, avoiding excessive or intense exercises that involve frequent movements of fingers, toes, knees, and elbows. Moreover, maintaining an ideal body weight is crucial as obesity or overweight is a contributing factor to gout. Use the BMI (Body Mass Index) as a guide for weight loss, calculated as current weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared, with an ideal range of 18.5 to 24 for adults.

Nutrition and Health Maintenance

Lastly, focus on nutrition and healthcare. After acute gout attacks, patients can adopt food therapy or traditional Chinese medicine to regulate their bodies. Drinks like Safflower and Sutch'ewan Ebony Beverage, or Papaya, Plantago, and Job's Tears Beverage, can alleviate joint swelling, pain, and symptoms of yellow-hot urine caused by gout. Additionally, for individuals with high uric acid levels, regularly consuming congee made with coix seed, lily bulb, and dried orange peel with cassia twig decoction can help lower uric acid and improve the body's acidic environment.