Monday, February 21, 2011

Gouty Arthritis

Oh, the pain!  As if all your blood rushed down to your feet and the feeling that it's about to explode---but don't!  Terrible, terrible pain!  Such is the calvary of having Gouty Arthritis! 

Gouty Arthritis is caused by an elevated uric acid in the blood and are deposited in the joints.  Otherwise known as inflammatory arthritis or the swelling of the joints.  The most common type is the inflammation of the big toe or the metatarsal-phalangeal joint which affected 50% of the cases.  In my case, it's the inflammation of the heel joint which rendered me incapable of walking for the last three days.  My right foot was swollen and was unable to set it on the floor without experiencing intense pain.  The most nettlesome about this situation was that the pain would persist through the night and no matter what position I put my foot in---it was PAIN TO THE MAX!  Needless to say, sleepless were those nights!

Not my feet but the same outcome.  Notice the inflamed right foot.

Hyperurecemia or the high uric acid in the blood, is the primary cause of gout.  This medical condition can be caused by a number of reasons, mainly:  poor diet, generic predisposition, and the undersecretion of urates or the salts of uric acid.  Poor diet---GUILTY!   

This is the first time that I have experienced this and I don't intend to have a repeat.  As they say, once is enough for a wise guy!  This would mean a drastic lifestyle change in terms of what I eat and how much I exercise.  Goodbye taho, isaw, canned food, pork, and beef!  Pork and beef?!  Oh my!  That in itself is tough to do given my penchant to being carnivorous!  Ah, well...either bite the bullet or be on pain! 

Believe me when I tell you---the pain was horrible!  So unless you want to experience that too I suggest, especially for those who already have an elevated uric acid, to make the dietary change.  Remember, WALANG NAGSISISI SA UNA.