Leading Podiatrist, Martine Abrahams on GOUT – “the disease of kings” or “rich man’s disease”

The agony of goutThe topic for my blog this month is gout – an unpleasant and often debilitating disease, which can put you out of action for several weeks.  There have been a number of high profile sufferers throughout history – Henry VIII, Pavarotti, Jim Belushi and more recently, Jared Leto, who contracted gout symptoms after piling on 60lbs for a film role.

The incidence of gout has increased over the past few decades and now an estimated 1-2% of the Western population are affected by it at some time during their lives.  The main reasons for this trend seem to be the Western lifestyle/diet and longer life expectancy.

Gout is a type of arthritis, in which crystals of uric acid produced by the body, can form inside joints.

 

The most common symptom is sudden and severe pain in the joint, along with swelling and redness. The joint of the big toe is usually affected, but it can develop in any joint.

Symptoms can develop rapidly to their worst point in 6-24 hours and usually last for 3-10 days (this is sometimes known as a gout attack). After this time, the joint will start to feel normal again and any pain or discomfort should eventually disappear completely.

Most people with gout will have further attacks in the future.

The crystals may cause two problems:

  • Some may spill over into the soft lining of the joint (synovium), which causes the pain and inflammation associated with gout
  • Some pack together to form hard, slowly expanding lumps of crystals (“tophi”) which can cause progressive damage to the joint and nearby bone; this eventually leads to irreversible joint damage which causes pain and stiffness when the joint is being used

Factors that increase your risk of gout include:

  • age and gender
  • being overweight or obese
  • high blood pressure or diabetes
  • close relatives with gout (gout often runs in families)
  • long-term kidney problems that reduce the elimination of uric acid
  • a diet rich in purines; such as frequently eating sardines and liver
  • drinking too much beer or spirits – these types of alcoholic drinks contain relatively high levels of purines

There are two main goals in treating gout, relieving the symptoms with painkillers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and preventing future attacks with Allopurinol which can help lower levels if uric acid.  Lifestyle changes can also help – reducing weight and alcohol intake.

There is some good news for us women – men are more likely to suffer gout, as oestrogen reduces a woman’s levels of uric acid by increasing excretion of uric acid via the kidneys.  Sadly however, we catch up with men after menopause!

Gout can be very painful and distressing, but if you do suffer from acute episodes don’t despair, as attacks are usually short lived and lifestyle changes combined with anti-inflammatories can help a great deal.

 

 

HIGH HEELS CAN LEAVE A LASTING IMPRINT

HIGH HEELS CAN LEAVE A LASTING IMPRINT ON YOUR FEET acknowledges famous shoe fanatic, actress Sarah Jessica Parker

We all have our favourite heels that come out for special occasions, but, for those of us who wear them all the time, take note: high heels can damage your feet and cause a whole load of problems as the years move on.

Not just foot pain, problems range from the more common concerns such as bunions, corns and calluses to more complex issues like misshapen hammertoes or excruciating pain in the ball of the foot, which seems to get worse every time the shoes are worn.

Will women stop wearing their vertiginous favourites? Not likely, judging by a survey conducted by the American Podiatric Medical Association, which showed some 42% of women admitted they’d wear a shoe they liked even if it gave them discomfort; 73% admitted already having a shoe-related foot issue.

Shoes that constrict the natural foot shape are bound to cause pain and, at the same time, excess weight is placed on these parts of the foot.  So crushing the foot along with extra weight can cause extreme discomfort.

Bunions – described as an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the head of the big toe. Footwear is not the only cause of a bunion. Genetics do play a significant role, and people who have bunions in the family are also much more likely to have bunion than people who do not. Injuries to the foot can also be a factor in developing a bunion. However, there is no doubt that high heels aggravate this condition, and in many cases cause the misshapen toes.  Introducing lower heels into your wardrobe can stop the problem getting worse, but surgery to correct the bunion is often required.

Corns and Calluses – build up of layers of dead skin, usually on the toes, soles or sides of the foot (the body’s way of building natural protection against trauma) as a result of ill fitting shoes.  Before treating your own feet with home remedies, please consult a Podiatrist as you could cause damage by if you remove too much hard skin yourself.

Tips to protect your feet and still enjoy your heels:

1.  Get a proper fit – avoid styles that leave too much room at the toes, allowing the foot to move forward, putting increased pressure on the toes

2. Cushion! Invest in gels pads to protect the ball of the foot.  We lose fat on the ball of our feet as we age so replacing this with a cushion can help

3.  Thicker heels give improved balance and distribute weight through the foot instead of isolated pressure points

4. A gradual drop from heel to toe can be easier to wear than those with a straight drop

5. Open toed high heels can avoid excess pressure on toes and corns

6. Take a rest from heels as much as you can, to allow toes to spread in a more natural fashion and to stop the calf muscles tightening

The Queen of Heels has just admitted to the damage her Blahniks have wrecked on her feet and it also looks as if Victoria Beckham has had her notorious bunions repaired. Ultimately, enjoy your footwear, but do take notice of what your feet are telling you – if they hurt they’re sending you a message!

Sarah Jessica Parker: “I went to a foot doctor and he said, ‘Your foot does things it shouldn’t be able to do. That bone there…You’ve created that bone. It doesn’t belong there.'”

http://uk.eonline.com/news/396572/sarah-jessica-parker-high-heels-ruined-my-feet

   HIGH HEELS CAN LEAVE A LASTING IMPRINT

Image   HIGH HEELS CAN LEAVE A LASTING IMPRINT ON YOUR FEET acknowledges famous shoe fanatic, actress Sarah Jessica Parker

We all have our favourite heels that come out for special occasions, but, for those of us who wear them all the time, take note: high heels can damage your feet and cause a whole load of problems as the years move on.

Not just foot pain, problems range from the more common concerns such as bunions, corns and calluses to more complex issues like misshapen hammertoes or excruciating pain in the ball of the foot, which seems to get worse every time the shoes are worn.

Will women stop wearing their vertiginous favourites? Not likely, judging by a survey conducted by the American Podiatric Medical Association, which showed some 42% of women admitted they’d wear a shoe they liked even if it gave them discomfort; 73% admitted already having a shoe-related foot issue.

Shoes that constrict the natural foot shape are bound to cause pain and, at the same time, excess weight is placed on these parts of the foot.  So crushing the foot along with extra weight can cause extreme discomfort.

Image Bunions – described as an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the head of the big toe. Footwear is not the only cause of a bunion. Genetics do play a significant role, and people who have bunions in the family are also much more likely to have bunion than people who do not. Injuries to the foot can also be a factor in developing a bunion. However, there is no doubt that high heels aggravate this condition, and in many cases cause the misshapen toes.  Introducing lower heels into your wardrobe can stop the problem getting worse, but surgery to correct the bunion is often required.

Image Corns and Calluses – build up of layers of dead skin, usually on the toes, soles or sides of the foot (the body’s way of building natural protection against trauma) as a result of ill fitting shoes.  Before treating your own feet with home remedies, please consult a Podiatrist as you could cause damage by if you remove too much hard skin yourself.

Image   Tips to protect your feet and still enjoy your heels:

1.  Get a proper fit – avoid styles that leave too much room at the toes, allowing the foot to move forward, putting increased pressure on the toes

2. Cushion! Invest in gels pads to protect the ball of the foot.  We lose fat on the ball of our feet as we age so replacing this with a cushion can help

3.  Thicker heels give improved balance and distribute weight through the foot instead of isolated pressure points

4. A gradual drop from heel to toe can be easier to wear than those with a straight drop

5. Open toed high heels can avoid excess pressure on toes and corns

6. Take a rest from heels as much as you can, to allow toes to spread in a more natural fashion and to stop the calf muscles tightening

The Queen of Heels has just admitted to the damage her Blahniks have wrecked on her feet and it also looks as if Victoria Beckham has had her notorious bunions repaired. Ultimately, enjoy your footwear, but do take notice of what your feet are telling you – if they hurt they’re sending you a message!

Sarah Jessica Parker: “I went to a foot doctor and he said, ‘Your foot does things it shouldn’t be able to do. That bone there…You’ve created that bone. It doesn’t belong there.'”

http://uk.eonline.com/news/396572/sarah-jessica-parker-high-heels-ruined-my-feet