How to Treat Gout Naturally
Gout is a form of arthritis that is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body. People who suffer from gout attacks have difficulty eliminating uric acid, and so it builds up in the joints, ligaments and tendons. It can often be very painful and slow to subside. There are some pharmaceutical drugs that treat gout, however these are very hard on the kidneys and are not for long-term use. Here are some more natural ways to treat gout when you have a flare up.
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Things You'll Need
- Castor oil
- Epsom salts
- Cypress essential oil, grapefruit essential oil or Hyssop essential oil
- Olive oil or cold-pressed vegetable oil
- Heating pad
Instructions
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The first thing you can do to alleviate gout is to change your eating habits. Eliminate all processed foods, all refined sugars and all grains. These things cause inflammation within the body and your body is healthier without them.
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Drink black cherry juice every day. You can buy it as a concentrate and drink it that way. Cherry juice has been proven to lower levels of uric acid.
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Buy some digestive enzymes and take them with every meal and in between meals. Start slowly and then build your way up. Enzymes help break down food particles.
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Buy some essential oils; Any in the list above will do. They all are anti-inflammatory agents. Choose an oil, add 2-3 drops of your oil to a carrier oil such as olive oil or vegetable oil ( 2 teaspoons will do). Do not overdo the essential oils and always use a carrier. Massage this oil on the affected area.
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Castor oil is a wonderful thing to have on hand. It draws out inflammation, especially when used as a compress. Wet a cotton cloth. Put a liberal amount of Castor oil on the cloth and apply it to the affected area. Place a dry cloth over this one, and on top of that a heating pad as hot as you can stand it. Relax with this compress on for at least 20 minutes every few hours, or more often if necessary.
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Take a foot bath. Add very warm water, a cup of Epsom salts and 1 to 2 drops of one of the above essential oils. If your gout is affecting another part of your body take an all-over body bath using the same recipe.
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Tips & Warnings
The best thing you can do when having a gout flare up is to avoid organ meats, red meat, seafood and any legume. In fact, if you find you are having gout more frequently, it is best to eliminate these high-purine foods from your diet entirely.
Never use an essential oil "neat" ; that is, never use it without diluting it first in water or a base carrier.
