Gout – Why Patient Education is So Important
When you’re in the grip of a gout flare, it can feel like the pain will never end. You’re not alone – gout is one of the most common forms of arthritis, affecting around 8.3 million American adults (1). The good news is that treatments are available to help ease your symptoms and prevent future flares. But first, you need to understand what’s causing your gout in the first place.
What is Gout?
Gout is arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in your joints, causing inflammation and intense pain. Uric acid is a by-product of purines – substances that are found naturally in your body, as well as in certain foods and drinks. When uric acid levels get too high, sharp crystals can form in your joints that cause flares. (2)
The most common symptom of gout is a sudden, severe attack of pain and swelling in your big toe – often following an injury or trauma to the area. This can happen without warning, and the pain can be so severe that even wearing shoes becomes unbearable.
Patient Education – Why is it So Important?
When it comes to matters of health, patient education should always be at the forefront. After all, it is only when patients are armed with the correct information that they can begin to take control of their health and make positive changes in their lives. This is especially true for chronic conditions such as gouty arthritis. Once you understand what’s causing your flares and what you can do to prevent them, you’ll be well on your way to keeping your symptoms under control. Patient education also empowers you to make informed decisions about your treatment, so you can choose the option that best suits your needs. With the help of your doctor and by maintaining a healthy life, the aim of lowering your uric acid levels is not mission impossible. Finally, gout education and persistence to stick to a regime will gradually enhance your quality of life, while neglecting it will do quite the opposite and even may put your life in danger.
Our mission as a foundation.
We at the GOUT Foundation Bulgaria have the mission to provide lifestyle tips to gout-suffering patients in an understandable way so they can apply these in their daily routines. We believe that patient education is crucial because it helps people understand their condition and empowers them to make informed decisions about their treatment. If you suffer from gout, we hope you will take advantage of our resources and join us on our mission to help people find relief from this painful condition!
And while a health tip might sound like something scattered or pulled out of context, our long-term vision is that accumulating those on our website, backed by research, will ultimately provide you with creative ideas to enhance your daily life. We also work on weekly and longer diets and looking forward to partnering with more rheumatologists, PhDs, and nutritionists in this direction.
All our articles are based on existing medical research to ensure that the information you receive is well-backed and separated from the regular internet noise. We also have a 7-day diet on a side menu (or at the bottom of this article if you’re on mobile), so make sure you will grab it – it is free.
Sources:
(1) An old disease in a new perspective – A review (DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2017.04.008, PMCID: PMC5512152, PMID: 28748116)
(2) Patients with gout adhere to curative treatment if informed appropriately: proof-of-concept observational study (dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-203226)