Tophi are deposits of uric acid crystals that form in the joints of those in advanced stages of chronic gout. They have a whitish or yellowish color and can have an appearance of a chalk-like substance or a cottage cheese-type texture.
Tophi, plural for Tophus, are deposits of uric acid crystals at and around the joints of someone afflicted with Chronic Gout. They can grow into grotesque looking lumps with an appearance of a chalky substance or a cottage cheese texture. They can take on a whitish or yellowish color and can either grow hardened or be somewhat soft and pliable.
When chronic gout has been left unattended and untreated for an unspecified length of time, the ongoing presence of elevated uric acid levels can then lead the condition of Tophaceous Gout. At this point the disease of gout can move to being considered life threatening.
Beyond the unattractive ugliness of the lumps, they can serve to create permanent joint damage. If they become ulcerated, they can become septic.
This is a severely dangerous condition technically termed Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome or SIRS and the body develops this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues. The common term is blood poisoning and is often very hard to bring back under control.
Beyond the threat of SIRS, the presence of Tophi signals extreme Acidosis of the entire body. With the buildup of these crystals in and near the joints, a very real and high likelihood of developing kidney stones is at hand. If kidney stones develop, the condition can then move into a number of different Renal Function Complications.
As an acidic state of health mounts, it also brings with it the onset of many other common lifestyle related diseases; Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, etc.
The typical western medicine approach to managing gout is to prescribe Allopurnol and Colchine, with other new pharmaceuticals on the horizon. These prescription drugs are effective in the manner that they are a good solution for those seeking above all else, "Convenience".
They work with tolerable effectiveness to limit the production of uric acid and mitigate inflammation, however, like all western medicines they only serve to mask the symptoms and fail to address the root cause of gout being, "how did the body become so acidic?"
In our western world of "convenience first", these gout pharmaceuticals work well if the condition of gout is viewed from the dietary point of view that "high uric acid is caused by high purine foods".
Acidosis is not only created by the acidic foods and drinks we consume, but also by the toxic chemicals in our air, what we touch, from chronic unintentional dehydration, and our own metabolism due to Stress.
Learning to manage the pH of our body chemistry with the use of alkaline foods and water, conscious breathing techniques, proper movement and exercise, and emotional control, we can get to the root cause of what creates the condition of gout and the unbearable intense pain that goes along with it, as well as the complications and danger of tophi.
The onset of gout and tophi is just a painful omen that is best taken seriously.
The 4 Ways Deep Breathing Techniques Will Make A Difference With Gout
The condition of Gout is caused by an over-acidic body condition, specifically Uric Acid. Toxic acid waste will build up from several different causes. Deep breathing techniques will serve to assist in both preventing the accumulation of acid waste and help move it out to be excreted as well.
Gout And Celiac Disease: What Is The Connection?
Gout and Celiac Disease appear to have some interesting connections although there is no conclusive evidence that specifically ties them together at this time. Bone and joint pain, as well as Autoimmune Symptoms and Rheumatoid Arthritis are commonly included in a long list of symptomatic descriptions of Celiac Disease. Gout is classified as a Rheumatic Disease, it certainly qualifies as a condition of Bone and Joint Pain, and it has an Autoimmune component as in the body attacking itself when the presence of the naturally occurring substance, Uric Acid, becomes too prevalent.
Baking Soda For Gout: Why Take Drugs?
Baking soda or Sodium Bicarbonate is a well-known treatment for neutralizing the acidic buildup that causes Gout. The effectiveness is well-documented and widely used today. It's ability to raise the pH of the body chemistry makes it a more attractive natural method to relieve Gout than NSAIDS; why do our doctors ignore it?
