A sufferer of Gout may be prescribed the anti-inflammatory drug Prednisone; however before taking it one should be aware of the prednisone side effects and dosage limits. A Gout attack can seemingly appear totally out of the blue. But an occurrence of Gout is an accumulation of uric acid underneath the skin in the blood circulatory system.
The build up of uric acid results in the formation of monosodium urate crystals that stick to joints, ligaments and tendons. There are certain risk factors that are out of a person’s control however diet and fitness are definite factors that can have an impact on a person’s chances of developing Gout. Certain types of food and drink can increase the chances of monosodium urate crystals forming in the blood stream; fish, meat, alcohol and sweetened drinks also have been proven to be a risk factor.
Being overweight and having a BMI of over 35 can also increase the risk factor of experiencing Gout attacks. However certain people are genetically more likely to suffer the painful inflammations of Gout as it has been proven in some cases to be a hereditary disease. Diet and fitness are attributed with being involved with around 12% of Gout cases, whereas a person’s genetic makeup and predisposition to having a higher uric acid level is linked to around 59% of cases.
The process of treating a person who is suffering from Gout, begins with identifying whether the patient is suffering from a chronic Gout condition or an acute attack. If the latter is the case then normally a doctor prescribes a course of medication for the patient to follow; it can be steroids, colchicines or any type of anti-inflammatory drug. To alleviate the initial pain and hotness of Gout, the patient is recommended to place an ice pack on the affected area for around 20 minutes.
It will alleviate pain and help the swelling subside- however it is important to recognise that a person suffering with Gout is always advised to see a doctor as soon as the condition develops. Most untreated Gout sufferers go onto have new Gout attacks in the same year. Getting treated properly with all the after care and protection can prevent a person redeveloping the condition.
The side effects of the drug prednisone depend on a few key factors, firstly the dosage. Negative side effects are less likely to show if minimum doses are adhered too. If a patient takes a dosage of higher than 10mg per 24 hours, their chance of experiencing a negative side effect increases. These side effects come in two groups and reflect the time spent on the drug. The first group is when a person has been using the drugs for under three weeks, their side effects include, fluid accumulation and retention based weight gain, gastronomically issues and discomfort, hyperglycaemia and mood swings.