Why does gout always seem to strike in the morning?

You wake up one morning and suddenly, moving your feet is the hardest thing to do.

Hello, gout!

Swollen joints — hence difficulty in moving your feet — is the common manifestation of gout. It is one of a hundred kinds of arthritis, which is caused by having too much uric acid in your system.

Says Rheumatologist Dr. Maria Cristina Tolin, “mataas ang level [ng uric acid] sa circulation mo, sa dugo, pupunta siya ngayon sa joints, where it will crystalize. Duon nag-co-caust ng arthritis.”

It’s a common ailment among drinkers, but hardly ever strikes women. Why?

Below, we list down 5 questions we may all have about that a recent episode of Pinoy MD answered.

Why does it strike in the morning?
There are two reasons. First, because we hardly drink water while we’re asleep, we experience dehydration. “Hindi tuloy natutunaw yung uric acid sa ating katawan at namumuo ito sa ating mga kasu-kasuan,” says Dr. Tolin.

Second, we can blame the low temperature at night. Dr. Tolin compares uric acid to water: “Mas mabilis mamuo kapag malamig.”

Why don’t women get gout?
It’s not that women don’t get gout, it’s that men have higher chances of getting it. Why? Because women have estrogen, which protects them from it. “Even if tumaas ang levels of uric acid, it doesn’t cause women arthritis because of estrogen,” continues Dr. Tolin.

Should you ever see women with gout, it’s often among older, post-menopausal ladies.

What causes it?
Beans, legumes, nuts. Which is a favorite bar chow among drinkers, which is why drinkers often have this. Innards aka lamang loob is another gout-inducing dish. So careful eating isaw, bopis, and the like.

What do you do when it strikes?
You can drink anti-inflammatory medicines, to help with the swelling. But apart from medicines, you can also apply hot and cold compress on the affected areas. A warm foot bath with baking soda should help in the swelling as well.

What if I cannot avoid eating beans?
Eat food rich in potassium, like bananas then. They help the body flush out excess uric acid. Whole grain food, like brown rice, also helps keep your uric acid on the correct levels. — LA/KVD, GMA News