The older they get, the more susceptible they are to gout. How to prevent the recurrence of this gout?
Gout or gout is prone to be experienced by the elderly. Even so, it is possible for gout to hit people at a younger age.
Often the symptoms of gout experienced are quite severe, as occurs during an acute attack. But sometimes, the condition causes no symptoms, which is known as remission.
There is no cure for gout. However, uric acid levels in the body can be controlled. In addition to routine medication, gout in the elderly can be prevented by applying the following strategies:
1. Regulate Diet
Avoid foods that can trigger gout attacks, such as red meat, offal, and seafood. Not only that, limit alcohol consumption, especially beer, brandy, and whiskey.
Alcohol consumption inhibits the body’s ability to excrete uric acid, increasing the risk of high uric acid levels in the body, and causing attacks.
2. Physically Active
One of the causes of gout in the elderly is a sedentary lifestyle or not much activity. Therefore, being physically active can be a way to prevent gout.
Do an active exercise that is 150 minutes per week at a moderate intensity. At moderate intensity, a person will gasp for air when trying to speak one sentence.
In addition to avoiding the risk of gout, walking, swimming, or cycling regularly can reduce the risk of other diseases as well, such as heart disease and diabetes.
3. Lose Weight or Maintain Ideal Weight
If you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, this can increase your risk of gout attacks in the short term.
On the other hand, losing weight gradually over a longer period of time can be an effective way to lower the risk of gout.
4. Increase Water Consumption
Gout in the elderly can be prevented by increasing the consumption of water per day. With a note, there is no limit to water consumption from doctors due to medical conditions, such as kidney disease.
Maintaining fluid intake will keep the kidneys healthy and help the kidneys remove uric acid from the body.
The recommended fluid intake per day will depend on your age, weight, gender, and other factors. Talk to an internal medicine specialist regarding your daily drinking needs.
5. Treat Sleep Apnea
Handling sleep apnea can be one way to prevent gout in the elderly. Although more research is needed, some evidence suggests that treating sleep apnea can affect the frequency of gout attacks.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes a person to stop and return to breathing repeatedly during the night.
Sleep apnea treatment usually uses a CPAP machine, to increase oxygen consumption while sleeping. By increasing oxygen levels in the body, the production of uric acid can decrease thereby minimizing the risk of gout attacks.
The elderly and gout seem to have become two things that are difficult to separate. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t. Prevent gout attacks in old age with the tips above. Don’t forget to fulfill your daily needs, protect the joints of the body, and apply a healthy diet.
In addition, observe the signs and symptoms of gout in the elderly so that treatment can be done faster.