For diabetes patients, it is extremely difficult to live their everyday lives. They have to exert more effort in maintaining their lifestyles and keeping up with how their disease progresses. It’s almost impossible to find a medicine for diabetes that is affordable and effective at the same time, also depending on the degree or type that the person has.
Gout patients encounter almost the same problem. People with gout suffer from inflamed joints usually in the base of the big toe. Their mobility is greatly affected, hence impeding their normal movement and routines. It is especially hard for the elderly to deal with gout; the pain it causes becomes too much for them to bear even when temporary relief is given.
Can you just imagine if a person has diabetes and gout at the same time? The challenge is definitely tougher and the situation is riskier. Despite this, one should be aware of how the two diseases may be related to each other so the proper diagnosis and treatment could be administered.
GOUT: A COMPLICATION FOR DIABETES?
Medical research has shown that gout is more likely to develop from the risk factors that cause diabetes, especially obesity. When one is obese, the body fails to monitor the normal distribution of fat and sugar in the blood, therefore causing drastic changes in the amount of bodily chemicals, including uric acid. Excessive uric acid in the blood is the primary reason why a person develops gout.
However, doctors have argued that diabetes may also be caused by high serum uric acid since it encourages ‘insulin resistance’ in the body, where cells fail to be in sync with what the insulin normally does. This just goes to show that gout may not really stem out from other complications that diabetes causes—it is more likely that both gout and diabetes are brought by high levels of uric acid in the blood which interfere with the normal production and actions of insulin.
TREATMENT AND DIET PLAN
According to research, women who are at least 68 years old and men who are at least 61 years old are more likely to develop gout; it is more prevalent in women than in men. There are many medicines available in drugstores that are made specifically for lowering uric acid levels in the body. On the other hand, the onset of diabetes could begin as early as childhood. Unfortunately, insulin shots are the only ones available for health maintenance which can be really expensive and inconvenient.
However, there can be more natural ways of dealing with both diabetes and gout. Diabetic people could stick to a diet low in carbohydrates and a meal plan consisting of vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, fruits, and non-fat dairy products. Through this, the patient can lessen his/her intake of sugars while still maintaining nutritional balance.
ROAD TO A HEALTHIER LIFE
The link between diabetes and gout is not yet 100% proven and there are many theories, testimonies and arguments surrounding it. Nevertheless, it is important to know how to spot these diseases before they even get worse. Blood sugar and cholesterol levels should be monitored, and risk factors should be carefully watched on so they don’t cause complications. Remember, prevention is and will always be better than cure. All it takes is knowledge and the right disposition in order to find the right ways of treating and recovering from them before it’s too late.