What to eat to avoid severe pain caused by acute gout?

(Dan Tri) - In some cases, gout can occur in people with healthy lifestyles, causing sharp pain in the joints.

Gout despite healthy lifestyle

Having passed the age of 50, Mr. Minh Hao (living in Ho Chi Minh City) is always proud of his healthy lifestyle. In recent years, he has been involved in jogging, always maintaining an ideal weight of 55-58kg.

With healthy living habits, a reasonable diet, regular home-cooked meals, rarely drinking, and annual general check-ups, Mr. Hao never thought he would get any metabolic-related diseases.

But then one evening, everything changed suddenly. After a normal day at the office, the man felt an unusual pain in his body. At first, it was just a tingling sensation in his right knee joint, but the pain quickly spread, making it difficult for him to walk, each step felt like a needle piercing his flesh.

Acute gout attacks cause joint pain, a feeling like needles are stabbing every time you move (Photo: Unsplash).

That night, the pain worsened. Mr. Hao lay in bed, sweating profusely from the pain, his knee joint red and swollen, burning hot. The sharp pain was especially severe in the middle of the night, preventing him from sleeping.

The next morning, the man went to the hospital for a check-up. Test results showed an abnormally high level of uric acid in his blood. Mr. Hao was diagnosed with acute gout.

"Even with a good lifestyle, the disease can still occur in people with genetic factors or a body that has difficulty eliminating uric acid," Minh was surprised when he heard the doctor's announcement because he always thought gout was only for obese people or people who overeat.

What to do to prevent acute gout attacks?

According to Dr. Kieu Xuan Thy, Deputy Head of Facility 3, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, gout is one of the common metabolic disorders, characterized by increased uric acid in the blood, leading to the deposition of urate crystals in the joints.

Acute gout attacks are typically characterized by episodes of severe joint pain, swelling, heat, and redness in one or more joints, often occurring suddenly, especially at night. Preventing acute gout attacks not only helps reduce pain but also prevents chronic joint damage and kidney complications.

The main cause of gout is an unhealthy lifestyle. Habits of eating a lot of red meat, seafood, alcohol, carbonated soft drinks and fast food rich in purines are the leading factors that promote the increase of uric acid in the blood.

However, another less well-known cause of this disease is genetics. More specifically, if a parent has microcrystalline arthritis, their child will have a 20% risk of developing the disease.

According to Dr. Thy, to prevent recurrence of acute gout attacks, the first thing patients need to do is to control uric acid levels in the blood. The use of uric acid-lowering drugs must strictly follow the instructions of a specialist. Patients should not arbitrarily increase the dose or suddenly stop taking the drug because this can trigger a new gout attack.

In addition, diet plays an important role in controlling and preventing the disease. Patients should limit foods rich in purines such as animal organs, red meat, seafood, especially sardines and anchovies. In addition, alcohol and fructose-sweetened beverages should be avoided because these are factors that increase uric acid production.

Meals should include more green vegetables, fresh fruits, low-fat dairy products and drink enough water every day (about 2-3 liters) to increase uric acid excretion through the kidneys.

Maintaining a healthy weight also significantly reduces the risk of acute gout attacks.

Obesity not only increases uric acid production but also reduces the kidney's ability to excrete it. Overweight people need to lose weight slowly and properly, and should not fast or apply excessive diets because this can cause metabolic disorders and trigger gout attacks.

In addition, patients need to avoid factors that can easily trigger gout attacks such as prolonged stress, trauma, use of diuretics without prescription or irregular eating. If there are underlying diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and lipid disorders, patients need to be treated stably because they aggravate gout and increase the risk of complications.

According to traditional medicine, gout is classified as a type of rheumatism, often caused by damp heat stagnation, poor blood circulation or phlegm accumulation in the joints. Disease prevention does not only rely on medicinal herbs but also requires a combination of regular health care, massage and acupressure to increase circulation, support anti-inflammation and reduce the accumulation of toxins.

Some traditional medicine can be used to clear heat, eliminate dampness, and promote blood circulation, but they must be prescribed by a qualified traditional medicine practitioner. Do not use oral medicine on your own.

Regular follow-up with a doctor is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment, check blood uric acid and adjust medication accordingly. If well controlled, patients can live a healthy life, minimize recurrence of acute gout attacks and avoid chronic damage to joints and kidneys.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/an-gi-de-tranh-con-dau-du-doi-do-gout-cap-20250815154702305.htm