Poverty a Factor for the Return of Gout in Britain

posted: Sep. 10, 2014

Poverty a Factor for the Return of Gout in Britain

A combination of poor wage growth and increased food prices has caused the return of Victorian-age diseases such as gout, according to a report from the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), which represents doctors and health workers in Britain. Food poverty has been linked by the FPH to the rise of such diseases. “It’s getting worse because people can’t afford good quality food,” commented John Middleton of the FPH. “It is a condition we believed should have died out.” Poverty in Britain has been a topic of great debate since the global financial crisis. Wages have been consistently below the rate of inflation since 2008. Gout is a form of arthritis that can be caused by obesity and a diet rich in chemical compounds called purines, found in foods like sardine and liver.

Maintaining a proper diet is paramount in preventing gout and gout exacerbation. To learn more about the lifestyle choices you can make to help treat and prevent gout, consult with Dr. Jeffrey Conforti of New Jersey. Dr. Confortiwill assist you with all of your foot and ankle concerns and answer any of your related questions.

What is gout?

Diseases of the feet can affect the whole body, and symptoms usually arise within the feet. A condition like gout can make a patient’s ability to walk unbearable. The pain caused by this disease is often so agonizing that it requires elevation of the feet and some time off for them to fully recover.

Known in the past as “the disease of kings,” Gout is caused by an excess of uric acid in the body. Some common symptoms include pain, inflammation, and redness at the metatarsal/phalangeal joint of the base big toe. This buildup of acid is typically seen on the big toe of the foot and can cause inflammation, redness and swelling. Although these are common symptoms of the diseases others include joint pain, extreme fatigue and a high fever.

Gout can be treated by NSAIDs, which relieves pain and inflammation and other drugs which lowers the acid levels in the body.

For more information about gout, please follow the link below.

If you have any questions, please contact our office, located in Paramus, NJ. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot care needs.