Anyone who has had an attack of big toe gout will tell you it can be excruciatingly painful. Because gout generally attacks the area around the big toe it can be easily aggravated such as through being knocked or through walking so it is sensible to wear comfortable footwear such as a pair of sandals where the big toe area is left exposed.
This affliction can attack anyone of any age who has a high build up of uric acid in the body. Sometimes referred to as arthritis big toe, research has shown there is no known cure. But it can be avoided through the avoidance of certain food types that promote the build up of uric acid in the blood stream. Food stuffs that contain too much purines are known to be the catalyst for building uric acid and anyone who has had uric acid big toe will know that eating a diet rich in high-purine foods such as liver, sea-foods, meat extracts, rich sauces, anchovies, yeast and beer will place them at risk of getting foot pain in the big toe. If you are one of those at risk people it would therefore be wise to closely watch what type of food you eat.
Gout is initially triggered through uric acid crystals that enter the body through the food chain. These deposits of uric acid crystals are in most instances absorbed into the blood and passed through the kidneys and then excreted from the body through the urine.However, if uric acid is not eliminated in this manner it can build up in the blood stream eventually leading to uric acid big toe.
Sufferers who drink water regularly have found that it helps to extract uric acid from the body through urine extraction, although these days with improved effective medical treatments many people who suffer from gout big toe can now manage the condition and reduce the painful discomfort so that the possibility of any long-term damage is avoided.