What Causes Gout?
Gout Diet
Gout is often related to an inherited abnormality in the body to process uric acid. Uric acid levels can become elevated by eating a lot of purine-rich foods such as meats, by the overproduction of uric acid by the body, or if the kidneys do not eliminate excess uric acid. When uric acid reaches a certain level in the blood it precipitates out in the form of monosodium urate crystals. In gout, the crystals are deposited in connective tissue and joint spaces evoking intense inflammation.
People with high levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia) do not always develop gout. Actually most people with hyperuricemia do not develop gout. Therefore it is not necessarily the high level of uric acid causing gout but perhaps a rapid change in its level. Gout attacks can be
precipitated by:
* dehydration
* injury
* fever
* heavy eating
* heavy drinking of alcohol
* recent surgery
Other contributory factors include:
* obesity
* weight gain
* high blood pressure
* abnormal kidney function
* certain medications
Gout Diet
