Type 2 Diabetes - Poorly Controlled Diabetes Can Lead to Gout!

The first point where gout is commonly formed is in the base of the big toe joint. However, other places include: knees, wrists, elbows, fingers and ankles. If you have an acute gout attack you will feel:

• pain,
• swelling,
• warmth,
• tenderness, and
• a change in skin color in the affected area.

Gout is caused when uric acid crystals form in tiny sacs of fluid around your joints. The crystals create inflammation within the sacs that cause swelling and pain in the joints.

In some cases, inflammation can become chronic and mimic rheumatoid arthritis. In these cases, nodular masses form in soft tissue parts of your body. They can appear anywhere but hard nodules are most commonly found in the ears, the tips of your elbows, around your fingers and the big toe. When these nodules appear it's because of an overload of uric acid in your body.

There are several types of gout and the symptoms can vary. They are:

• Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia,
• Monoarticular and Polyarticular Gout,
• Intercritical Gout,
• Acute Gouty Arthritis, and
• Chronic Tophaceous Gout.

Asymptomatic means you have no symptoms. The uric acid levels very slowly increase over many years. Only 20% of cases at this level actually become full-blown gout.

Monoarticular Gout starts in one joint and about 60% of all attacks occur in the big toe. It's also called podagra. It may also occur in the knee or ankle. Polyarticular Gout is similar but it occurs in more than one joint simultaneously. This happens in around 10-20% of cases and is more common in older people. The extremities are most likely affected and it's common to be along one side of the body.

Intercritical Gout is the name for the time between the gout attacks. More than two-thirds of people have a second attack within a couple of years and more than 90% of people have repeated attacks over a 10 year period. Treatment is always essential for gout and can delay relapses.

Acute Gouty Arthritis is when you notice minor symptoms such as severe pain around one or more joints. Swelling may be noticeable, as well as fever, chills, feeling sick and loss of appetite. Skin may become shiny and tight and begin to peel. This stage can last a couple of years before you get a full attack.

Chronic Tophaceous Gout is a long-term recurring type with its own set of problems in addition to the ones already mentioned, and is the one people suffer from the most because it's long-lasting.

The foods you should eat as a diabetic are basically the same as if you have gout. Protein, fruit, vegetables, grains, healthy fats and good carbohydrates should be on the menu instead of junk food.

It's best to eat healthy size meals... then your blood sugar will remain stable, your Type 2 diabetes will be under control and you reduce the risk of developing gout.

Foods to avoid if you have gout:

1. Food containing purines metabolize into uric acid. Avoid organ meats such as:

• anchovies,
• mussels,
• herring, and
• oysters because they all have a lot of purines.

2. Foods that create uric acid include:

• red meat,
• poultry,
• asparagus,
• beans,
• spinach, and
• alcohol, especially beer.

As a diabetic, you are prone to lots of problems, including gout.

Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. By making easy changes to your daily routine, its possible to protect your heart, kidneys, eyes and limbs from the damage often caused by diabetes, and eliminate some of the complications you may already experience. Maintaining a healthy eating plan will also help reduce your possibility of developing gout.