Gout occurs due to high uric acid levels in the body. Gout in the hand can cause severe, sudden pain. When you have gout pain in your hands, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Joint redness
- swollen fingertip joints
Warm or hot skin around the affected joint area
Measures to overcome hand pain caused by gout
To treat hand pain caused by a gout outbreak, you can combine medication and home remedies:
- Cold compress: Apply cold to affected joints for about 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, especially when in pain.
- Rest: Avoid activities that increase hand pain during gout flare-ups. Wearing a bracelet can help reduce mobility of pained joints in daily work.
- Raise your arms: Raise your arms higher than your heart when lying down to help reduce swelling.
- Take medication prescribed by your doctor.
How to control gout pain in the hand
While gout outbreaks cannot be prevented, there are some ways to help reduce your risk of gout pain:
- Avoid drinking alcohol.
- Choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates.
- Reduce your fat intake.
- Drink sugar-free drinks.
- Eat low-fat dairy products instead of meat or seafood as a major source of protein.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Stay hydrated to help eliminate uric acid from the body.
