Gout is an ancient and modern disease, which is both an ancient imperial disease and a contemporary civilized disease. The reasons why patients get sick are often related to their lifestyle habits, especially in terms of food. If you don't pay attention when eating, gout may come to you. So, which foods or lifestyles are prone to inducing gout, and what harm can gout bring to the human body?
Gout - not a disease, but a series of diseases!
Gout is more common in middle-aged men, with women accounting for only 5%, mainly in postmenopausal women. The incidence of gout tends to be younger. The natural course of gout can be divided into four stages, namely the asymptomatic hyperuricemia stage, acute stage, intermittent stage, and chronic stage. The clinical manifestations are as follows:
1. Acute gouty arthritis
Most patients have no obvious symptoms before the onset, or only fatigue, general discomfort, and joint pain. A typical attack often occurs in the late night due to joint pain, which gradually intensifies and reaches its peak around 12 hours. It appears as tearing, cutting, or biting, and is difficult to tolerate. Affected joints and surrounding tissues are red, swollen, hot, painful, and have limited function. Self relieving within a few days or 2 weeks.
The first attack often involves a single joint, with some occurring in the first metatarsophalangeal joint. In the subsequent course of the disease, some patients may involve this area. Secondly, joints such as the dorsum, heel, ankle, knee, wrist, and elbow are less affected, while joints such as the shoulder, hip, spine, and temporomandibular are less affected and can simultaneously affect multiple joints, presenting as polyarthritis. Some patients may have systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, palpitations, and nausea, which may be accompanied by increased white blood cell count, faster erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and elevated C-reactive protein.
2. Intermittent seizure period
Gout attacks last for several days to weeks and can self relieve. Generally, there are no obvious sequelae, or local skin pigmentation, peeling, and itching are left behind. Afterwards, it enters an asymptomatic interval, lasting for several months, years, or more than ten years before recurrence. Most patients experience recurrence within one year, with more and more frequent occurrences and more affected joints. Symptoms persist for a longer period of time, and affected joints generally develop from the lower limbs to the upper limbs and from the distal small joints to the large joints, involving joints such as fingers, wrists, and elbows. In a few patients, it can affect the shoulder, hip, sacroiliac, chest lock, or spinal joints, as well as the surrounding synovial vesicles, tendons, and tendon sheaths. The symptoms tend to be atypical. A small number of patients have no intermittent period and present with chronic arthritis after the initial onset of the disease.
3. Chronic gout stone lesion stage
Subcutaneous gouty stones and chronic gouty stone arthritis are long-term significant hyperuricemia, resulting in the deposition of large amounts of monosodium urate crystals in the subcutaneous, synovial, cartilage, bone, and surrounding soft tissues of the joints.
The typical site of occurrence of subcutaneous gout stones is the auricle, which is also commonly found around recurrent joints, as well as in areas such as the olecranon, Achilles tendon, and patellar bursa. The appearance is a yellow white vegetation of varying sizes with subcutaneous protrusions. The skin surface is thin, and after rupture, white powdery or paste like substances are discharged, which do not heal for a long time.
Subcutaneous gouty stones often coexist with chronic gouty stone arthritis. A large amount of gout stones deposited in the joints can cause bone destruction, fibrosis of surrounding tissues, and secondary degenerative changes. The clinical manifestations include persistent joint swelling, tenderness, deformity, and functional impairment. Chronic symptoms are relatively mild, but acute attacks may also occur.
4. Renal lesions
(1) Chronic urate nephropathy results in the deposition of urate crystals in the renal interstitium, leading to chronic tubular interstitial nephritis. The clinical manifestations include decreased urine concentration function, increased nocturia, low density urine, small molecule proteinuria, white blood cell urine, mild hematuria, and tubular urine. Late stage can lead to decreased glomerular filtration function and renal insufficiency.
(2) Urinary acid stones are caused by an increase in uric acid concentration in the urine, which becomes supersaturated and deposits in the urinary system, leading to the formation of stones. The incidence rate in gout patients is over 20% and may occur before the onset of gouty arthritis. Smaller stones may appear as gravel like discharge with urine and may be asymptomatic; Larger cases can block the urinary tract, causing renal colic, hematuria, difficulty urinating, urinary tract infections, renal pelvis dilation, and hydronephrosis.
(3) Acute uric acid nephropathy results in a sudden increase in blood and urine uric acid levels, with a large amount of uric acid crystals depositing in renal tubules, collecting ducts, and other areas, causing acute urinary tract obstruction. Clinical manifestations include oliguria, anuria, and acute renal failure; A large amount of uric acid crystals can be seen in the urine. It is often caused by secondary causes such as malignant tumors and their chemoradiotherapy (i.e. tumor lysis syndrome).
Gout is not a disease, it indicates a series of chronic illnesses. If you already have gout, please check if you are also suffering from the above-mentioned disease, detect it as soon as possible, and treat it as soon as possible. If not detected, it can also be prevented as early as possible.
Nourishing the Kidney - The Root of Gout
1. Take care of your own feet
Keeping feet warm is a method of nourishing the kidneys. This is because the kidney meridian originates from the soles of the feet, which are easily invaded by cold air. Therefore, special attention should be paid to keeping your feet warm, and when sleeping, do not face your feet directly towards the air conditioner or fan; Do not walk barefoot in damp places for a long time.
picture
In addition, there are many acupoints on the sole of the foot, such as Yongquan acupoint. "The kidney originates from a gushing spring, and the gushing spring fills the heart." Before going to bed every night, you can massage the gushing spring acupoint on the soles of your feet, which can have the effect of nourishing the kidney and consolidating essence.
2. Ensure smooth bowel movements
Difficult bowel movements, stagnant stool, and rising turbid qi not only cause restlessness, chest tightness, and shortness of breath, but also damage the kidneys, leading to lower back pain, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Therefore, maintaining unobstructed bowel movements is also a method of nourishing the kidneys.
When defecation is difficult to relieve, you can use both hands to press and rub against the renal area, which can stimulate kidney qi and accelerate defecation; When walking, rubbing the kidney area with the back of both hands can alleviate symptoms of lower back pain.
3. Drinking water to nourish the kidneys
Water is the source of life. Insufficient water may cause retention of turbid toxins and increase the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, regular drinking water is an important method for nourishing the kidneys.
4. Don't tolerate urination
When the stored urine in the bladder reaches a certain level, it will stimulate the nerves and produce a urinary reflex. At this time, it is necessary to go to the toilet in a timely manner and urinate thoroughly. Otherwise, the accumulated urine will become turbid and invade the kidneys. Therefore, timely urination is also one of the best ways to nourish the kidneys.
5. Swallowing saliva to nourish the kidneys
The saliva in the mouth is divided into two parts: the clear and sparse part is saliva, which is controlled by the spleen; Thick saliva is controlled by the kidneys. You can do an experiment where you spit out any saliva in your mouth, and in less than a day, you will feel soreness and fatigue in your waist. This in turn proves that swallowing body fluids can nourish kidney essence and have a protective effect on the kidneys.
6. Diet protects the kidneys
There are many foods that can nourish the kidneys. In addition to black sesame seeds, black fungus, black rice, black beans and other black foods that can nourish the kidneys, walnuts, leeks, shrimp, sheep waist and other foods can also play a role in nourishing the kidneys.
7. Sleep Nourishing Kidney
Adequate sleep plays an important role in the biochemistry of qi and blood, as well as the maintenance of kidney essence. Clinically, it has been found that many patients with renal failure experience excessive staying up late, excessive fatigue, and insufficient sleep. Therefore, do not stay up too late, develop good sleep habits, go to bed and wake up early, which is beneficial for the maintenance of kidney essence.
Below, traditional Chinese medicine introduces several types of gout
（1） Qingre Yunjie Gout
Symptoms: Local joint redness, swelling, heat and pain, sudden onset, disease affecting one or more joints, often accompanied by fever, bad wind, thirst, restlessness, or headache and sweating, short and yellow urine, red tongue and yellow coating, or yellow and greasy, and smooth pulse.
Treatment principles and methods: clearing heat and promoting dampness, unblocking collaterals and relieving pain.
Prescription: San Miao San combined with Danggui Nian Tong Tang with modifications. Stir fried Atractylodes macrocephala, Phellodendron amurense, Achyranthes bidentata, Artemisia scoparia, Qianghuo, Duhuo, Angelica sinensis, Chuanxiong, Huzhang, Fangfeng, Fangji, Tufu Ling, Bixie, Zexie.
（2） Cold dampness obstruction type gout
Symptoms: Joint pain, mild swelling, no local heat, localized pain, poor flexion and extension, or subcutaneous nodules or gout stones, numb and numb skin, thin white or greasy tongue coating, and weak or soothing pulse.
Treatment principles and methods: warming meridians and dispersing cold, removing dampness and unblocking collaterals.
Prescription: Aconitum Decoction with modifications. Chuan Wu, Sheng Ma Huang, Sheng Huang Qi, Sheng Bai Shao, Cang Zhu, Sheng Bai Zhu, Qiang Huo, Pian Jiang Huang, Danggui, Tu Fu Ling, Bi Xie, Gan Cao.
（3） Phlegm stasis obstruction type gout
Symptoms: Recurrent joint pain that does not heal over time, sometimes mild and sometimes severe, or tingling pain, fixed and not moving, swollen joints, even ankylosing deformities, poor flexion and extension, subcutaneous nodules, or dark purple skin color, with purulent or dull veins.
Treatment principles and methods: promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, resolving phlegm and dispersing nodules.
Prescription: Taohong Siwu Tang combined with Danggui Niantong Tang with modifications. Quandanggui, Chuanxiong, Chishao, Taoren, Yinchen, Weilingxian, Haifengteng, Zhuling, Fuling, Jinqiancao, Tufuling, Bixie.
（4） Spleen deficiency dampness obstruction type gout
Symptoms: Asymptomatic period, or only mild joint symptoms, or hyperuricemia, or symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, lower back and knee pain, reduced appetite, abdominal distension and tightness, light and fat tongue or red tongue tip, white or yellow thick and greasy coating, thin or smooth pulse, etc.
Treatment principles and methods: invigorate the spleen and promote dampness, nourish qi and promote meridian circulation.
Prescription: Huangqi Fangji Tang with modifications. Huangqi, Fangji, Guizhi, Xixin, Danggui, Duhuo, Qianghuo, Baizhu, Fangfeng, Epimedium, Yiren, Tufu Ling, Bixie, Licorice.
Soaking feet can cure all kinds of diseases
The foot is the main source of yin blood, and all three yin meridians converge here: the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, the Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian, and the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. Kidney generates blood, liver stores blood, and spleen regulates blood.
1: Why can soaking feet at night replenish blood
Blood deficiency, blood stasis, cold hands and feet, dull tongue, freckles on the face, tight heart, suffocation, and difficulty breathing.
Soak your feet in hot water at night - add safflower (spicy in taste, warm in nature, returning to the liver and pericardium meridians, breaking blood, promoting blood circulation, harmonizing blood, and regulating blood) to promote blood circulation and remove stasis; Clear the three Yin meridians of the kidney, liver, and spleen.