How Home Care Can Help Seniors with Gout

Many of us have heard of gout but may not understand exactly what it is. Gout is arthritis in one of its most painful and severe manifestations. Gout is the result of uric acid crystallizing in the body and being deposited into a person's joints, leading to inflammatory arthritis in these locations.  This arthritis is partnered with swelling, stiffness and tenderness in these joints.

When a person is afflicted with gout, the body part most commonly affected is one's big toe. The other joints typically prone to gout are the ankles, knees, elbows, hands and wrists. Gout becomes more and more painful as the joint swelling makes the skin above it tighten and become extremely sensitive to the touch. The skin reddens and even turns purple. Often a diagnosis of gout is not made until a patient comes to a doctor for something to help manage his or her pain.

Factors Affecting Seniors' Risk for Gout

Gout can last anywhere from three or four days to several weeks. It may even become severe enough to result in deformities in the affected joints. It is important for the elderly and those who work in senior care to know and understand the key factors that impact whether a person is at risk of developing gout or not. These include:

• a family history of gout
• being overweight, which leads to increased uric acid production
• alcohol consumption which interferes with the body's uric acid removal ability
• prescription medications used in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease such as Levodopa and Cyclosporine and drugs with Salicylate (aspirin, diuretics or Niacin
• increased risk from other health conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure), hypothyroidism,  and renal insufficiency,
• psoriasis and certain forms of cancers

Treatment for Gout and In-Home Care Precautions with the Elderly

The main goal of gout treatment is quick pain relief and prevention of any future attacks. Containment of the damage and avoidance of any long-term complications is also paramount. Kidney damage and deforming joint destruction are both potential hazards of severe gout. It is important for elderly patients to take any medicine prescribed and understand the steps they must take to prevent re-occurring attacks.

For those who have gout, home care can play a significant role in treatment. Seniors and their home care givers should use any recommended hot or cold therapy packs on any affected areas as directed and keep the gouty joint elevated as instructed. It is important that the affected person drink a great deal of water (up to ten glasses per day) and take the recommended doses of over the counter pain medication. Alcohol intake should be limited if not eliminated altogether.