If you have gout, then you know how painful an outbreak can be. While gout can strike from out of the blue, there are some surprising triggers that you may not be aware of.
Do you reach for the aspirin bottle when you get a random ache or pain? You may want to rethink that bottle in your medicine cabinet. Why? Aspirin can drive up the amount of uric acid in your blood. At high enough levels, uric acid deposits in joints (especially in the big toe and fingers) can create gout. For occasional pain, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) might be better for the gout-prone.
Dehydration can also play a role in gout episodes. Aim to drink around eight cups of water a day to keep your body well-hydrated.
After menopause, women are more likely to develop gout. This may be why, in younger people, men are more prone than women to have a gout attack. This is because estrogen, a hormone that helps the kidneys excrete uric acid, dips during menopause. (Men in their mid-40s are at the highest risk of gout; post-menopausal women are at increasing risk as they age.)
Family history can make your more prone to develop gout, but you don't have to just wait for it to happen. Some studies suggest that you can help keep gout at bay by consuming coffee, cherries, and vitamin C. its. Plus, apples, grapes, and cranberries all contain malic acid, which may counter gout-promoting uric acid in your body.