Is it OK to walk with gout? It is safe for people to walk with gout. In fact, doing joint friendly activities such as walking can help improve gout-related pain. Gout is a form of arthritis that usually affects the big toe joint, but it can also affect the lesser toes, ankles, and knees.

In this article, learn about eight natural ways to lower uric acid levels.

1. Limit purine-rich foods.
2. Eat more low-purine foods.
3. Avoid drugs that raise uric acid levels.
4. Maintain a healthy body weight.
5. Avoid alcohol and sugary drinks.
6. Drink coffee.
7. Try a vitamin C supplement.
8. Eat cherries.

“When in a gout flare, even the pressure of a bed sheet can be extremely painful,” Dr. Iversen says. “Most patients feel better by elevating their feet and resting” — and that’s okay.

Soaking in cold water is most often recommended and considered most effective. Ice packs may also work. Soaking in hot water is typically only recommended when inflammation isn’t as intense. Alternating hot and cold applications may also be helpful.

There are also many things you can add to your diet to help avoid or manage gout. Drink plenty of water, milk and tart cherry juice. Drinking coffee seems to help as well. Be sure to talk with your doctor before making any dietary changes.

The encouraging news is that almost all gout cases are treatable. In fact, gout is one of the few treatable and preventable forms of arthritis, an umbrella term for dozens of conditions that cause inflammation in the joints.

Gout is more than just painful flares. If not managed properly, over time gout can cause permanent joint destruction, bone erosion and kidney damage. With advances in treatments and understanding of the disease, gout is a manageable condition and flares can be controlled with the appropriate long-term management.

Kidney disease can lead to gout When you have kidney disease, your kidneys cannot filter out uric acid as well as they should. Too much uric acid building up in the body may cause gout. Most people with early stage kidney disease do not know they have it. Gout can be a warning sign of kidney disease.

Drinking water can help flush the uric acid crystals that cause gout out of your system. “A well-hydrated patient should drink enough to urinate every two to three hours,” says Dr. Shakouri.

If you have gout, you can still enjoy a nice, cold glass of milk. In fact, according to the Arthritis Foundation, studies show that drinking low-fat milk won’t only reduce your uric acid levels and risk of a gout flare, but will also promote excretion of uric acid in your urine.

Researchers report a correlation between foods high in fructose and gout symptoms, which can include chronic pain. These fruits include apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, prunes, and dates. It’s okay to eat these fruits if you have gout as long as you do so in moderation. Limit yourself to one to two cups per day.

Eggs are a good protein source for people with gout, because eggs are naturally low in purines.

A 2016 study found that reducing the glycemic index lowered uric acid levels in participants. Limiting foods with a high glycemic index such as white bread, pasta, and white rice may help to reduce uric acid levels and possibly prevent gout onset or flares.

DO: Drink Milk Go ahead. Studies show that drinking low-fat milk and eating low-fat dairy can reduce your uric acid levels and risk of a gout attack. The proteins found in milk promote excretion of uric acid in the urine.

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, this happens because drinking lemon juice causes your body to release more calcium carbonate. The calcium mineral bonds to uric acid and breaks it down to water and other compounds. This makes your blood less acidic and lowers uric acid levels in the body.

Chocolate can lower uric acid crystallization, according to a 2018 study . Lowering uric acid crystallization can be key to controlling your gout. Chocolate has polyphenols associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Inflammation reduction is helpful in providing relief from a gout attack.

Meats such as beef, veal, poultry, pork, and lamb. Crab, lobster, oysters, and shrimp. Vegetables such as asparagus, spinach, green peas, mushrooms, and cauliflower. Kidney beans, lentils, and lima beans.

Although you would need to consume an abundance of oranges to obtain a great benefit for gout, it is still recommended to consume oranges on a daily basis and follow a low purine diet to reduce all round, uric acid levels.

Your doctor may recommend one of these medicines that you can’t get over the counter:

• Allopurinol (Aloprim, Zyloprim)reduces uric acid production.
• Colchicine(Colcrys, Mitigare) reduces inflammation.
• Febuxostat(Uloric) reduces uric acid production.
• Indomethacin(Indocin, Tivorbex) is a stronger NSAID pain reliever.

Recommendations for specific foods or supplements include:

• Organ and glandular meats. Avoid meats such as liver, kidney and sweetbreads, which have high purine levels and contribute to high blood levels of uric acid.
• Red meat.
• Seafood.
• High-purine vegetables.
• Alcohol.
• Sugary foods and beverages.
• Vitamin C.
• Coffee.