Can alcohol cause gout?
Are you an individual who enjoys a cold beer or a glass of wine once in a while? You might want to put that drink down for just one second because we’re about to talk about the elephant in the room – GOUT. Can alcohol consumption lead to gout attacks? Let’s explore this topic further!
What is Gout?
Before delving into the relationship between alcohol and gout, let’s first understand what gout is. G(o)od Old-Urine Trickling (who comes up with these names anyways), more commonly known as gout, is characterized by sudden attacks of pain, redness, swelling, and warmth in the affected joint(s). It mostly manifests itself in the big toe but can also occur in other areas such as knees or ankles.
Gout appears when uric acid builds up inside your body leading to its deposition over time above normal levels. This condition can damage your kidneys if not addressed appropriately. If left untreated long-term or repeated flare-ups could cause severe deformities around joints.
Now that we’ve understood what causes gouts let’s specifically discuss whether consuming alcoholic beverages contributes towards causing them:
Is there any truth behind alcohol being associated with inducing Gouts?
There have been various researches conducted on this particular topic; people consume drinks made from fermentation processes like beer are prone to be at risk of suffering from acute flares than those who don’t indulge themselves often. However scientists argue they don’t know if it’s directly related since different factors interfere which complicates data collection making interlinkage difficult
In summary researchers report:
- Drinking generally doesn’t affect long term development of clinical symptoms.
-
Pre-existing conditions (chronic kidney disease) intensify correlations whereas otherwise moderate drinkers appear unaffected.
More details regarding pre-existing conditions in the next section
How does alcohol affect our urinary system?
Alcohol acts as a diuretic. That means it increases urine production and accelerates fluid excretion by inhibiting anti-diuretic hormones (ADHs). As fluids are expelled, uric acid levels may rise due to the decrease of volume inside the body potentially triggering gouty attack.
Historically doctors have advised patients with a gout diagnosis to steer clear from alcoholic drinks; not because research shows that they’re directly responsible for causing flare-ups but rather on account of their effects on kidneys which might result worse outcomes specially if there’s any pre-existing chronic condition happening simultaneously.
Pre-Existing Conditions
As mentioned earlier, people who already have underlying health concerns like kidney disease or diabetes are more susceptible to experiencing painful episodes when drinking than healthy individuals. This is primarily because these organs lose efficiency making metabolic waste elimination much harder leading to build-up levels surges predisposing them as prone targets to subsequent attacks.
Don’t worry – If you do experience pain after consuming small quantities occasionally then unless other further complications occur rest assured it isn’t going signalize anything too complex. Your specialist will examine you during check-ups – give professional recommendations towards handling relevant circumstances.
Alcohol consumption and Gout: Are they Linked?
Though researchers continue examining studies within this area, most suggest that occasional alcohol drinkers aren’t likely candidates of developing persistent symptoms while suffering from current state issues related to gouts. But regular excessive consumption over long periods could subtly contribute towards harmful long-term impacts listed below:
- Alcohol metabolites interfere with purines pathways creating an accumulation resulting elevated levels.
- Ethanol creation contains empty calorie which leads inevitable weight gain and fat storage both evidently linked with worsening inflammation.
- Decrease resistance common amongst heavy imbibers marks vulnerable infection susceptibility
Quick Recap
To sum up what has been discussed so far, Moderate alcohol intake in a general sense is unlikely to create any issues related to gouts but the moment it stretches beyond responsible quantities, has often been known to trigger various health concerns:
- Dehydration leading towards uric acid build-up
- Excessive purine synthesis due accumulation byproducts from ethanol metabolism adds deposit building up inside joints.
Does Gouty attack severity increase with Alcohol Consumption?
A systematic review published on pubmed (2008) found out that among participants having more than three glasses of wine or beer, increases risk factor have displayed heightened percentage of suffering from a severe episode. However another study conducted specifically upon largely came as an exception and showed differently which could implicate many other factors.
Not only they have also noted high chances mark increased frequency for patients with either liver or pancreas diseases such as alcoholic cirrhosis concurrently burdens apart from primary condition.
Recap
People who drink heavily run greater risks during acute pain episodes. Don’t overdo your limits if pre-existing conditions are hindering since this raises needles susceptibility loads along with inevitable eventual complications
So while there isn’t exactly a definitive answer regarding how alcohol worsens symptoms its’ best abstained altogether to ensure one’s overall well-being safe and sound.
What’s Bottom Line?!
It’s time we brought this beast under control and kiss goodbye all further worries – Here are some points worth noting:
- Gouts can be treated; early intervention minimizes flares preventing long-term deformities.
- Hydration is key when battling inflammation – so keep drinking water frequently!
- The “moderation buzzword” should never be ignored when consuming /drinking over-long periods consistently since ailments develop insidiously amid each intake
I hope this article helped demystify some information about the correlation between alcohol consumption versus gouts outbreaks! Be mindful next time you reach toward that shot glass!
Cheers!