Alcohol, sweets, and processed foods like nem chua (fermented pork roll) and lap xuong (Chinese sausage) are staples during the Tet holiday. Consuming these foods in excess can trigger acute gout attacks, leading to sudden pain, warmth, and redness around the inflamed joints, restricting movement and impacting the patient's enjoyment of the festivities.
Master, Doctor, First-Degree Specialist Dinh Pham Thi Thuy Van, from the Department of Internal Medicine and Musculoskeletal at Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7, advises that when an acute gout attack flares up and medical consultation is not possible, patients can apply home methods for quick pain relief.
Taking one to two pain relievers and anti-inflammatory pills daily can quickly alleviate acute pain episodes. For patients previously diagnosed with gout, when pain flares up, they should take medication as directed by their doctor.
Apply ice to the painful joint. Low temperatures constrict blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the inflamed area, which slows the inflammatory response, decreases swelling, and reduces edema. Low temperatures also have a local anesthetic effect, quickly soothing acute pain. Each cold compress session should last approximately 20-30 minutes, ensuring not to place ice directly on the skin to avoid frostbite.
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Cold compress is a simple method for gout pain relief. Photo: Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7 |
Cold compress is a simple method for gout pain relief. Photo: Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7
Drink plenty of water to balance fluids and help excrete uric acid from the body, thereby preventing the crystallization and formation of urate crystals that cause pain, which helps alleviate gout pain. Additionally, patients should limit the consumption of alcohol, alcoholic beverages, or drinks high in fructose. These beverages rapidly increase blood uric acid levels through the strong breakdown of purine nucleotides and increased purine synthesis.
Maintain a proper diet, avoiding excessive consumption of purine-rich foods such as processed foods, seafood, beef, lamb, and goat meat. Instead, protein can be supplemented from eggs, legumes, vegetables, and dairy products in appropriate amounts.
Elevate the swollen joint above heart level. This position improves blood circulation, prevents blood accumulation in the inflamed joint, thereby effectively reducing swelling and pain.
Ensure adequate rest. When stressed, the body tends to increase uric acid production to control oxidative stress, leading to elevated blood uric acid levels and worsening the condition. Therefore, during an acute gout flare-up, patients should maintain a relaxed state of mind and reduce stress. Patients also need to avoid physical activity during this time to lessen pressure on the painful joint, only engaging in gentle movements like walking once the acute pain has subsided.
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Doctor Van assesses a patient's knee joint function. Photo: Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7 |
Doctor Van assesses a patient's knee joint function. Photo: Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7
Doctor Van recommends that patients seek medical attention if the pain does not subside, tends to persist, causes difficulty walking, or if they experience fatigue, weakness, unexplained high fever, wake up in the middle of the night due to joint pain, or other unusual symptoms. At the hospital, based on symptoms like swelling and pain, along with blood uric acid test results, doctors can determine if the sudden joint pain is due to gout or another cause, allowing for timely treatment.
Phi Hong
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