In the article, we will consider what is the treatment of gout, and which doctor to contact.
Pain in the small joints of the foot may indicate gout. This is a metabolic disease in which uric acid salt is deposited in the joints, causing an inflammatory reaction. Therefore, it is extremely important to start therapy as soon as possible. Which doctor should I treat with gout?
Causes
The main cause of gout is the excessive content of uric acid in the human body, which develops due to its excessive production or reduced output from the kidneys.
The likelihood of developing pathology is increased, as a rule, in the following cases:
- Male affiliation.
- The period of old age.
- Human abuse of alcohol and meat.
- Passion for excessive physical exertion.
- Subcooling factor.
- Presence of kidney disease with disruption of excretory function.
- The presence of poor heredity.
Over time, excess uric acid salts are deposited in the tissues and serve as a sure cause for the inflammatory reaction. This acid is primarily deposited in the joints, and then the process goes into the kidneys (gouty kidney) and the skin.
Which doctor you need to contact with gout is interesting to many.
Symptoms
Typical gout attacks develop in people against complete rest at night or early in the morning. The disease manifests itself as intense pain in the affected joint, whose severity does not decrease, but rather only progresses. In men, the thumbs on the hands are often affected, and in women on the feet. The main signs of gouty joint damage are:
- The presence of redness of the skin, which takes on a blue or even crimson hue.
- The occurrence of swelling and glossiness.
- An increase in local temperature, which is noted over the inflamed joint.
- The presence of a common fever up to 38 ° or 39 degrees.
- The inability to move a sick joint along with a sharp increase in pain.
Exacerbation of gout is caused by the use of excessive amounts of alcohol and fatty foods, and, in addition, the effect of low temperature, injuries, surgery and exacerbation of concomitant diseases. Acute attacks of gout can also occur after visiting bathhouses, saunas or traveling to hot countries. Inflammatory reactions persist in people for three to ten days, after which the color of the skin is gradually restored, however, like motor activity.
Which doctor should I treat with gout?
Each subsequent exacerbation of the disease in question proceeds more actively and painfully in patients, in this regard, it is not worth delaying a visit to a doctor. Which doctor should I treat with foot gout first?
Therapist
In the event that a person does not know which doctor treats gout, it is best to consult a therapist first. The doctor will perform the initial diagnosis and, if necessary, will refer you to the appropriate specialist. When the case is not started, the subsequent treatment will be carried out by the therapist.
What doctor should I contact with gout?
Rheumatologist
Rheumatologists aim at joint health. Therefore, the help of such a specialist is primarily required for patients with gouty arthritis.
Orthopedist
Which doctor to treat with gout, not all patients know. Orthopedists are connected, as a rule, at the stage when patients do not consult a doctor in a timely manner for help and they develop persistent deformation of the joints. The doctor in this situation carries out their surgical correction.
Surgeon
Which doctor should I contact with the problem of gout - this is a topical issue today.
When pathological nodules greatly damage the appearance, the surgeon can perform excision of these pathological formations. But in order to prevent their reappearance, basic drug therapy is prescribed.
Which doctor to treat with gout of the legs is now clear.
What diet is required?
Those people who suffer from this disease must necessarily adhere to certain diets, usually those aimed at bringing the volume of uric acid in the body to the desired level. What should be the nutrition in the presence of gout? First of all, it is necessary to exclude from the diet those products that contain a lot of purine compounds, we are talking about canned food, fish and meat products of high fat content, smoked products and offal.
Do not abuse broths from fatty meats. Only boiled lean meat is allowed, but not more than 300 grams per week. In addition, it is necessary to exclude or restrict legumes, reduce the volume of coffee and tea from drinks, refuse chocolate, and table salt is almost completely prohibited.
Which doctor to contact and who treats gout, it is important to find out in advance.
Principles and treatment regimens
First of all, it should be noted that the methodology for treating an acute attack of this pathology and the stages of its remission differ. During periods of exacerbation, anti-inflammatory therapy is performed. The drugs are administered orally, articularly, intramuscularly, this is decided by the doctor. The selection of medicines and their dosage is established in each case strictly individually. Often during periods of exacerbation, the patient requires hospitalization.
In the event that gouty arthritis has just been diagnosed or the patient is in remission, then therapy is mainly aimed at preventing relapse of exacerbation, and, in addition, eliminating the associated symptoms in the form of obesity, a high level of lipids in the blood, and a reduced amount of sugar , atherosclerosis and hypertension.
Also, therapy provides for the prevention of the formation of uric acid stones in the kidneys. Treatment can be carried out under the strict supervision of rheumatologists or nephrologists at home, in the hospital, as well as in specialized sanatoriums. The effectiveness of measures directly depends on the right combination.
The fact is that the best result can be achieved by reasonably combining pharmacological agents with physiotherapy, proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Thus, the most successful is the comprehensive treatment of gout.
Drug treatment
The use of drugs during periods of exacerbation is most effective. Against the background of anti-inflammatory therapy in the presence of gouty arthritis, "Colchicine" is very often prescribed. The drug is taken orally or administered intravenously, the dosage is prescribed by a doctor. "Colchicine" is especially effective if it is prescribed as soon as the first symptoms of the disease appear. A noticeable improvement in the condition of patients already in the first 12 hours of taking this medication is noted in 75% of cases. However, there may be some adverse reactions in the form of disruption of the digestive system.
Also, in the presence of an exacerbation, other anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed, including Indomethacin along with Phenylbutazone, Naproxen, Etoricoxib, and others. In addition, if there are contraindications to the use of the above drugs, then in case of exacerbation of gouty arthritis, oral or intra-articular administration of hormonal agents, for example triamcinolone hexacetonide, may be effective.
Another technique is external treatment. For this, creams and gels are used, whose composition includes anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs. The most popular on this list are Diclofenac along with Ketoprofen and Nimesulide. In the calm periods of the course of the disease, drugs are prescribed that normalize the amount of uric acid in the body. These are, first of all, medicines “Benzbromaron”, “Avisan”, “Allopurinol” and others. Before use, consult a doctor. Which doctor to contact for the treatment of gout disease has already been mentioned above.
Modern physiotherapeutic methods of treatment
As an element of complex treatment for gout, physiotherapy is very effective, which improves the condition of cartilage tissue, preventing its decay. Consider the most common methods of physiotherapeutic treatment, which are usually prescribed between the occurrence of seizures:
- Electrophoresis is a procedure during which constant electrical impulses act on the body. This produces a local therapeutic effect. In addition, electrophoresis can enhance the penetration of external medications through the skin. For gout, Analgin and Novocain are used for pain relief, and zinc, sulfur, and lithium are suitable for stimulating cartilage.
- Mud therapy is a popular technique for improving the condition of patients. This procedure is often prescribed during the period of spa treatment.
- Thermal treatments can help dissolve uric acid deposits. For this, ozocerite and paraffin applications are made to patients.
- Balneotherapy is one of the most pleasant methods of physiotherapeutic treatment. The effect on the joints occurs against the backdrop of bathing. In the presence of gout, a cycle of radon, sodium chloride, hydrogen sulfide baths is prescribed.
- Bischofite acts as a natural solution, which includes sodium along with calcium, potassium, iodine, copper, iron, titanium. Compresses with bischofite make it possible to relieve inflammation, anesthetizing the affected gout area.
Among other things, in the presence of gout, UVT is successfully used in combination with ultrasound and magnetotherapy, exercise therapy and massage. Which method will be most effective in each case is determined by the doctor. Most procedures are usually available against the background of a course of spa treatment.
Sometimes it’s not enough to know which doctor to contact for the treatment of gout. Some patients prefer home therapy.
Alternative methods of therapy
Traditional medicine has long invented tools that help get rid of pain in the presence of gout on the legs. Here are some of them:
- The use of baths of chamomile broth. Flowers are poured with water, salt is added, brought to a boil, kept on low heat for ten minutes. Allow the solution to infuse and make a bath for the affected joint.
- Using fir cone extract helps patients cleanse joints. Take a fir cone and pour boiling water over it. Leave for nine hours to insist. Take one spoon thirty minutes before the main meal.
- Application of infusion of red madder roots. A spoonful of the roots of this plant is poured with a glass of boiling water. Let it brew. Accepted in the morning and in the evening, as a rule, in half a glass.
- Saline compress treatment. Half a kilogram of iodized salt is poured into the pan, everything is poured with water, boiled until the water evaporates. Then add 200 grams of petroleum jelly or chicken fat, mix. The resulting composition is used for compresses.
There are many other popular methods that are used to combat gout. However, before resorting to traditional medicine, it is necessary to consult a doctor, since each prescription has contraindications.
It was considered which doctor to treat with gout and how to treat this disease.