If you suffer from gout then you will be all to aware of how painful and uncomfortable it can be when a flare up occurs. Most people say that when an attack hits, it begins with itching and burning, as well as a tingling feeling in the joints. This is usually how a flare up of gout begins, and then stiffness and soreness begin to really increase. The joint pain alone can be highly debilitating and it is important that you take action as soon s possible, to minimize the effects that gout can have. There are some great treatments which you can use in the home, to help with gout relief and here are some ideas to help you treat the issue.

Cold Compress

A cold compress on the affected joints will not cure the gout but if the pain isn’t too bad, it will help to reduce the inflammation and get you a little more mobile again. Wrap some ice or an ice block in a towel, and then apply to the area for 20 to 30 minutes each day, or twice a day if the pain is mild to severe.

Rest

As frustrating as it can be, the best thing that you can do for your joints is to give them plenty of rest. The likelihood is that you probably won’t want too move around very much in any case, but the rest will help to soothe the pain in the joints, and reduce the inflammation.

Food and Drink

Drinking plenty of water will help to manage your uric acid levels, an increase of which is what will contribute towards the stiffness and pain in the joints. In terms of what to eat, you should be looking for foods which are high in purine as this will help to keep the joints flexible. Avoid high fructose foods as well as fatty foods, both of which will raise the levels of uric acid in the body.

Vitamins

There are some great vitamin supplements on the market that can greatly help with gout pain. Gout relief vitamins contain high levels of herbal extracts, potassium, magnesium and ascorbic acid, when combined these nutrients will help to reduce both the pain on the joints because of the way in which they can manage the uric acids in the body.

Medicines

If you don’t want to go to the doctor but you are still looking for medical relief, you should be looking to take anti-inflammatory drugs. Mainly you should be using ibuprofen and naproxen, both of which can be bought over the counter and offer a great deal of relief. The recommendation is that you use over the counter medicine for the first few days, but should the pain continue or worsen, it is always better that you go to see your doctor, in order to get something a little bit stronger that can help with relief.

When you learn to spot the signs of a gout flare up, you will be in a far better position to deal with the symptoms at home.