| Overview of Gout | | | | checked out his diabetes was "off the |
| | | | charts". Fortunately, they caught it in time, |
| Gout is a systemic disease caused by the | | | | but it should have been caught over a year |
| buildup of uric acid in the joints, causing | | | | earlier. |
| inflammation, swelling, and pain. This | | | | |
| condition can develop for two reasons. The | | | | Nearly 90 to 95% of all people with diabetes |
| liver may produce more uric acid than the | | | | have type 2. Who gets it? Just about any |
| body can excrete in the urine, or a diet of | | | | body. Fat, skinny, regular build, it makes no |
| rich foods (e.g., red meat, cream sauces, red | | | | difference; just about everyone can develop |
| wine) puts more uric acid into the | | | | diabetes. Most at risk are people regardless |
| bloodstream than the kidneys can filter. In | | | | of body build who live on a high intake of |
| both cases, a condition called hyperuricemia | | | | "junk food". Least at risk are people who eat |
| results. Over time, the uric acid | | | | a regular balanced diet. |
| crystallizes and settles in the joint spaces, | | | | |
| most commonly in the first metatarsal | | | | What you may not know about diabetes - the |
| phalangeal joint of the big toe or in the | | | | truth about insulin resistance. 92% of people |
| ankle joint. | | | | with type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance. |
| | | | Get the facts - go to your local diabetes |
| Signs and Symptoms | | | | agency or research it on the internet. |
| | | | |
| The most common symptoms of gout are | | | | Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes. |
| inflammation, swelling, and tenderness in the | | | | Obesity is not a guarantee you will develop |
| joint of the first toe. Touching or moving it | | | | diabetes and many obese persons never develop |
| is intensely painful and patients often say | | | | it, but persons who are obese |
| it hurts to have as much as a bedsheet over | | | | |
| the toe. Gout develops quickly and typically | | | | Diabetic meals can be healthy and savory. |
| occurs in only one joint at a time. Symptoms | | | | |
| may develop in two or three joints | | | | A key to diabetes management is maintaining a |
| simultaneously, but this is rare. If | | | | regular exercise program. Its never too late |
| widespread symptoms occur, the condition is | | | | to start and you can do it with a simple |
| probably not gout. | | | | walking program. Just walk 1 kilometer a day |
| | | | and over a period of a month build it up to |
| Diagnosis | | | | two miles (3 kilometers) a day. |
| | | | |
| The most reliable way to diagnose gout is to | | | | Sticking to dietary goals while eating out |
| examine the joint fluid for uric acid | | | | can be very challenging. Many, even most, |
| crystals. This is done by drawing fluid from | | | | restaurants cater to people with special |
| the joint with a needle and examining it | | | | dietary needs - just ask. And learn those |
| under a polarized light microscope. Although | | | | restaurants which do not and avoid them. |
| the test is invasive, the results are | | | | |
| definitive, and a positive result facilitates | | | | When it comes to diabetic nutrition, not sure |
| proper treatment and quick relief. | | | | what to believe? There are many stories out |
| | | | there, some believable, others not. Research |
| Treatment | | | | what you need to know from trusted resources |
| | | | - your local diabetes support center, the |
| Treatment for gout involves decreasing the | | | | internet, friends who have diabetes. |
| amount of uric acid in the joint. If dietary | | | | |
| habits are the cause, the patient's lifestyle | | | | The help of friends and family can make all |
| must be changed to avoid the condition. Gout | | | | the difference to someone with diabetes. |
| is readily corrected with patient | | | | |
| cooperation, and it is usually not treated | | | | Help for Diabetes, Gout and Other Disorders |
| unless it occurs frequently. Colchicine is a | | | | |
| common medication for treating acute gout | | | | Check out these products, Native's Gift, |
| attacks. If continuous medication is | | | | Desert Promise, Bio88+, and see if there is |
| necessary, the two most common choices are | | | | something here for you. They are all "Native |
| probenecid and allopurinol. | | | | and Natural" products, manufactured under |
| | | | strict quality control. In the case of |
| Prevention | | | | Bio88+, a Greens product, it is manufactured |
| | | | in a government controlled University |
| Alcohol and rich foods are primary | | | | laboratory. |
| contributors to excessive uric acid levels. | | | | |
| Although some patients have a genetic | | | | On the testimonials page below I am L. |
| predisposition to excessive uric acid | | | | Windblad and my wife is J.D. Windblad. I have |
| production, most gout patients have normal | | | | long-term gout (since 1977), damage from gout |
| kidneys and uncontrolled dietary habits. | | | | including numbness and pain in the feet, a |
| Prevention is the best defense against the | | | | prostate which had ceased functioning for the |
| disease. | | | | past 2 years, and in Jan 2004 I was diagnosed |
| | | | with a lazy thyroid. By the end of January my |
| Many patients who suffer from gout continue | | | | thyroid was functioning normally, by April I |
| to indulge, and suffer frequent attacks as a | | | | was noticing an improvement in prostate |
| result. Although medication makes it possible | | | | functioning and by mid-May it was definitely |
| to live with gout, the continued accumulation | | | | clear that not only was the pain gone but |
| of uric acid in the joints eventually damages | | | | feeling was coming back into my feet. This is |
| them, seriously inhibiting movement. | | | | written in June 2004 and its all still |
| | | | getting better. |
| Overview of Diabetes | | | | |
| | | | Check out these product testimonials and see |
| New to diabetes? Learn the basics - check | | | | what you think about what these products have |
| with your local diabetes clinic or research | | | | accomplished in many other lives. Scroll to |
| it on the internet. | | | | the bottom of the page and contact the people |
| | | | who gave these testimonials. |
| A key to diabetes management is maintaining a | | | | |
| regular exercise program. Its never too late | | | | There are other stories of "miracles" with |
| to start - see below. Sticking to dietary | | | | these products and they will be posted as |
| goals while eating out also can be very | | | | soon as they can be collected. What these |
| challenging - see comments below. | | | | products actually do is work to make your |
| | | | body function the way it is supposed to |
| 20 million Americans and Canadians have | | | | function, and they accomplish this at least |
| diabetes. Nearly 7 million don't know it. | | | | in part by restoring your natural Ph |
| Type 2 diabetes usually develops slowly, and | | | | balances. |
| the symptoms often go unnoticed. Our son | | | | |
| developed a puffiness to his face which we | | | | Make sure to go to the product testimonials |
| noticed right away because we saw him only a | | | | page above, scroll to the bottom, and click |
| couple of times a year. He and his wife put | | | | on the email contact for any of the people |
| it down to simple weight gain. After 2½ | | | | given, and receive their confirmation and |
| years they finally snapped to there being | | | | personal full testimonial. |
| something wrong and when he was finally | | | | |