Gout A disease of indulgence

Gout develops when the level of uric acid in the blood is
too high. In the past it was known as the patrician's
malady because it was considered a diseased of over
indulgence amongst the wealthy. High purine diet can affect
gout and red meat is high in purine. The rich ate red meat
while the poor could only afford grain.

Gout is predominantly a male disease up to the age of 50.
It starts around 30 and the peak is between 40 and 50
years. It is rare in pre-menopausal women. Hippocrates
wrote about gout as a disease of males and post-menopausal
women  and urate crystals were found in the big toe of an
Egyptian mummy.

Gout can be classified as primary and secondary. In primary
gout the body either produces too much uric acid or it
cannot excrete it effectively to maintain a normal blood
level. These patients benefit significantly from dietary
changes. Secondary gout develops as a result of other
factors. Some medical conditions can raise uric acid level
and trigger gout. These include renal disease and
myeloproliferative disorders. In leukaemia, the imbalance
is due to excessive production of uric acid, and in renal
disease the excretion of uric acid is impeded. Drugs can
affect blood uric acid levels. These include diuretics
especially thiazide diuretics, aspirin and cytotoxic drugs.
Gout is also linked to obesity and alcohol.

Acute gout usually develops during the night. 70-90% of
acute gout develops in the big toe and typically affects
the first metatarso-phalangeal joint. This is called
podagra. Within hours the pain becomes severe and
throbbing. The big toe swells up and can feel hot. It is
extremely painful to the touch and even the touch of the
bed sheath can induce excruciating pain. The acute episode
resolves on its own but can take over a week. Medication
can shorten this time.

Since the introduction in 1951 of probenacid and
allopurinol in 1963, chronic gout is rare apart from
non-compliant sufferers. Before these drugs were introduced
chronic gout caused severe distress amongst sufferers.
Acute gout was frequent and severe. In addition urate
crystals separated out into other joints, kidneys and other
organs leading to polyarthritis, kidney stones, heart
disease and tophi.

Diet and weight loss has an important role in gout
management. A low intake of purine can reduce blood urate
level by up to 20%. Foods high in purine are meat
especially liver and other organ meat, sausages and other
processed meat, seafood, milk, eggs and certain beans.
Alcohol increases the possibility of gout. Beer is the
worse culprit. It contains guanosine. This chemical is
converted by the gut flora into uric acid.

Today, with screening and tests done for insurance purpose,
we are seeing a group of individuals with high uric acid
without any signs of gout. These people need to be
monitored. Once all potential factors that can influence
gout are eliminated or reduced and diet and weight loss in
place, if the uric acid level remains high, then
maintenance therapy in the form of allopurinol is
recommended to keep the blood uric acid level within the
normal range. This stops urate crystals separating out into
important parts of the body.


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Dr.Phil Hariram is retired General Practitioner. He has
treated gout and arthritis for 27 years.
http://www.arthritissage.com
http://www.arthritissage.com/blog

Want to Know About Sleep Apnea?

There are now many researchers who are looking into the
sleep disorder which is now commonly known as sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can be described as the pausing of ones
breathing at night when you are asleep.

This is now a problem that quite a lot of people are faced
with and also need help to treat it. There are up and
coming new discoveries that could help to find new ways to
get treatment for these sleep breathing disorders such as
sleep apnea.

In the main there are two different types of sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea which is caused by the obstructions
of the airway passages. This obstruction could be anything
from the enlargement of ones tonsils, to fat that is found
in and around the neck area. Just about anything can be the
cause for this type of sleep apnea. There can be lots of
different reasons for this problem and for this purpose one
should check with their doctor.

A few of the sleep apnea basics that one could learn, can
help a person have a better understanding of the problem,
as well as help them find a way to treat it. One particular
sign of sleep apnea is loud snoring. This is an good
indication of breathing problems or blocked air passages.
The cessation of breathing or even some mild choking spells
in the middle of the night is also a warning sign of sleep
apnea.

Lots of people who suffer, have no idea that they even have
this type of problem. They may not realize what they are
doing while sleeping. The choking and gasping may possibly
not affect everyone, and if does, the person may not
remember it when they wake up.

The second type of sleep apnea disorder is called central
sleep apnea. This can cause the person to stop breathing
while they are asleep. With central sleep apnea, the body
will simply forget to breathe. It is a neurological
dysfunction that is caused by failure of the brain to issue
an actual command to keep on breathing while sleeping. This
is a fairly new discovery that has determined the area of
where this problem has originated.

There have been lots of studying to research this problem.
Scientists have now found that there are a tiny group of
neurons control this function. These neurons may hold clues
for causes laying underneath for other breathing disorders
and offer an excellent target for medications.

With Sleep apnea the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream
can drop way below the normal rate. When this happens, the
amount of carbon dioxide will also rise. This condition can
cause a shock to the system and it is believed to be the
main reason for the on bringing of a heart attack or stroke
in people that are suffering from this condition.

If you suspect that you are suffering from sleep apnea, you
should check with your doctor as soon as possible. They can
perform tests to determine which type of sleep apnea is
affecting you. With the results from these tests, your
doctor will be able to determine how best to treat it so
that you can get the sleep that you so readily deserve and
need, so that you may function properly throughout your day.


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Alex Wilson is currently one of the article writers and
editors for http://www.help-with-sleep-problems.com where
you will find lots of useful sleep related information,
reports, articles and tips.

The Best Acne Treatment - Good Nutrition

Most of us have suffered from acne at one time or another
beginning in early puberty. Its medical name is "acne
vulgaris" and indeed, many of us feel that it is absolutely
vulgar.

For some, it is severe enough to require medical
intervention by a dermatologist. For most people, though,
acne is a relatively mild condition that can be controlled
with a healthy diet, as well as basic good hygiene
practices and keeping your face clean.

Most teenagers suffering from acne will find that limiting
certain foods, or completely illiminating them from their
diet, will help a lot in getting rid of acne.

Sugar and other refined carbohydrates

Experts suggest avoiding refined carbohydrates, such as
white flour, and especially sugar. This includes high
amounts of fruit juices, although whole fruits should be
consumed.

Sugared sodas especially should be avoided. These are often
overlooked as major sources of sugar, since they are drunk
rather than eaten.

For a natural non-caloric sugar substitute that has no
aftertaste, try stevia liquid, available at most health
food stores or online. It is purported to be 600 times
sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a very long way.

Switch from white flour and refined foods such as white
rice to whole wheat breads and brown rice. Make sure to
read labels and look for the words "100% whole wheat" or
"100% whole grain." Carbohydrate foods low on the glycemic
index are best to control acne breakouts, so foods such as
white potatoes should also be avoided.

High amounts of fats, including "good" fats

There's a lot of talk these days on "good" versus "bad"
fats. Indeed, "good" fats such as polyunsaturated and
unsaturated oils like canola or olive oil, the fruit of the
avocado and nuts are "good" for you in small amounts, while
hydrogenated oils and trans fats should be avoided
altogether. But if you have acne, you should be especially
careful to limit your fat intake, even good fat intake.

Dietary fat from any source can increase the sebum
production of the skin, leading to acne breakouts. Peanuts
and peanut butter especially should be avoided or greatly
curtailed. However, fish oil supplements or eating fish a
few times a week will help acne breakouts, as these are
beneficial to skin health.

Dairy products

Unfortunately, that bowl of ice cream you enjoy as a snack
every night not only probably has sugar in it, an acne
no-no, but dairy also contains hormones such as
progesterone, which can lead to acne breakouts, as can the
iodine in dairy.

It has been shown that the fat content of the dairy does
not seem to effect its promotion of acne breakouts, so
substituting skim products for full-fat products will not
help. Using soymilk instead of regular milk and other soy
products such as cheese will help control breakouts.

Incidentally, it's unclear whether chocolate itself,
commonly thought of as an acne trigger, actually causes
acne. However, most chocolate consumed also contains high
amounts of refined sugar, which is an acne trigger.

Reducing or eliminating the foods noted above, along with
good hygiene, will greatly reduce or even eliminate acne
breakouts, along with other good habits such as ample
consumption of fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of
water and getting enough exercise. Bon appétit!


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Carol Stack has written numerous articles on health and
related subjects. She lives in the United States with her
husband, three children, and various dogs and cats. Carol
and her sister Barbara  have combined forces to produce a
website that focuses on healthy and nutritious foods and
recipes. You can visit it at:
http://www.healthyrecipesandmore.com