Ice or Heat For Gout - Which One Is Better?

Gout is one of the inflammatory conditions that can cause a flare-up at any point in life during the day or night. It is a major source of discomfort for people who suffer from this issue. Since it can attack any moment, you should know its dealing basics, whether ice is better for gout or heat.

Well, there are multiple ways to cater to gout flare. We have discussed the top 7 ways in this blog, so stay with us till the end.

Ice Or heat – Which Is Your Best Friend For Gout?

Inflammation can cause heat buildup, and applying an ice pack or cold compress to the painful joint may ease pain along with inflammation. All you need to do is take a bag of crushed ice or an ice cold compress and put it in the area for about 20- to 30-minutes a few times a day.

OTC Pain Medication

Aleve, Advil, and Motrin are all feasible to use for gout pain, along with some ice action. However, remember not to take aspirin at any cost because it will adversely affect the flare-up.

Prescription Drugs

If gout flares are pretty common for you, ask your physician to prescribe drugs to treat those attacks in a better-targeted way. However, do not use them unless NSAIDs or other OTCs fail to show a response.

Some examples of prescription medications include:

Prednisolone tablets – oral. They work just like NSAIDs and show a better response to gout heat than ice. However, do see how the stomach reacts to it. Prednisolone is a corticosteroid and has potential side effects, so do not take it for longer than recommended 5 days.

Another example is Colchicine. It is effectively used to reduce pain alongside inflammation. But there is a catch to it. This medicine only works if taken in the initial 24 hours of the attack. Moreover, follow instructions set by your doctor about the dosage to minimize potential complications, risks, and other side effects.

Keep Your Foot Up

Swollen and painful foot feels a lot better if the toe is set aside with raising pillows. This is to make it higher than your chest to reduce swelling.

Cut The Sock

You can cut out the big toe from a cheap pair of socks so you can keep your feet warm feet and no pressure is on your painful toe.

Hydration Key

Taking in fluids – non-alcoholic helps a lot. It is preferable to drink water multiple times throughout the day to flush out the uric acid from your system. Set a target of drinking 8 glasses every day. It is better to stay put when it comes to alcohol and other sugar-filled drinks like soda or sports drinks; they will evidently worsen gout flare up.

Final Words

Another thing that is most important is to relax and just wait for the flare to get better. Applying ice to your gout can help a great deal, along with the right medication and rest. If you have more questions, get in touch with professionals from Rheumatology Care North Houston.