Gout, an especially painful type of inflammatory arthritis, is caused by a buildup of uric acid that forms sharp crystals in your joints. Diet changes can reduce the amount of uric acid in your body and make it easier for your kidneys to flush it away.

Your body makes uric acid naturally when breaking down purines that are abundant in certain foods. Alcohol slows your kidneys’ ability to process uric acid and pass it into your urine, contributing to excess uric acid in your body.

Avoiding high-purine food and drink can reduce your chances of a gout flare-up or lessen its severity.

High-purine foods that trigger gout

• Beer. Even nonalcoholic beer can be high in purines and increase the levels of uric acid by as much as 6.5%, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Some beers are lower in purines than others, and some brewers say their beer is purine-free.
• Sugary foods, drinks and sweets. Table sugar is half fructose, which elevates your uric acid level.
• Processed foods. Snacks and other packaged foods tend to have high levels of high-fructose corn syrup, a concentrated form of fructose.
• Organ meats like liver, kidney, sweetbreads and tripe are high in purine.
• Some meat. Red meat is generally higher in purines and should be eaten only occasionally. Turkey has high purine levels.
• Certain seafood, like mussels, scallops, squid, shrimp, oysters, crab and lobster. Tuna, salmon and trout have high purine levels, but when eaten in moderation their heart benefits may outweigh the risks of a gout flare.
• Game meats like venison and duck should be eaten sparingly or avoided altogether.

In addition to avoiding high-purine foods, effectively managing gout symptoms includes maintaining a healthy weight through proper diet and exercise. Drinking plenty of water can help flush out excess uric acid. Coffee can reduce the risk of developing gout, but its effect on preventing recurrent gout attacks isn’t as clear.

“I highly recommend getting daily exercise, such as a 30-minute walk, to reduce flare-ups. Being overweight increases the risk of gout, so maintaining a healthy weight can help lower the risk,” said Amanda R. Dewees, APRN, nurse practitioner and family medicine provider with Norton Prevention & Wellness Mobile Primary Care.

Gout symptoms often are described as starting in the big toe, typically while sleeping, and affecting primarily those assigned male at birth.

Gout symptoms in women can be different. For those assigned female at birth, gout can strike differently and affect several joints over time. It can show up in joints already damaged by osteoarthritis, such as the hands, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

In addition, the role estrogen plays in gout can complicate the condition for women. Natural estrogen can help flush uric acid out of the body, and after menopause, uric acid levels tend to increase. It’s rare for premenopausal women to get gout.

Foods that help with managing gout symptoms

• Citrus and other fruits high in vitamin C can lower uric acid levels. But fruit also includes fructose, so look at options like grapefruit, oranges, pineapple and strawberries that are high in vitamin C, but have less fructose. Be cautious about fruit juice that may be naturally high in fructose or have added sugar.
• Plant foods and other nonmeat proteins don’t raise uric acid levels. Think peas, beans, lentils, tofu and greens.
• Proteins in dairy products can help promote passing uric acid in urine. Low-fat milk and other low-fat dairy products are recommended as part of a healthy gout diet.
• Cherries may lower your risk or the severity of a gout attack. There are some indications that the antioxidants in tart cherries can help those who experience gout.

The post Foods that trigger gout: What to avoid and what to eat appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

With Norton Healthcare teaming with the Louisville Cardinals as their official health care provider, Dr. Smith is also the head team physician for University of Louisville football.

“It’s an honor to have this wonderful opportunity and responsibility of taking care of the athletes from my hometown and alma mater,” Dr. Smith said.

Dr. Smith’s role with the team includes  preventive care and treating injuries. Other patients can benefit from his expertise at Norton Sports Health and Norton Orthopedic Institute.

“We take care of patients of all ages and activity levels,” Dr. Smith said.  “We take care of sports injuries, arthritis, trauma, providing non- operative and operative options including arthroscopic surgery and joint replacements.”

Norton Orthopedic Institute has more than 80 providers, including orthopedic surgeons at 30 locations in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

“When treating athletes, not only is our goal to get them back to the field as quickly and safely as possible, but also back to the same level of competition and performance.” Dr. Smith said.

With patients who are not athletes, Dr. Smith said the goal is still getting people back to their previous lifestyle and fitness level. In the case of arthritis, the aim is reducing pain.

With his surgical training, Dr. Smith can determine which conditions don’t require an operation. As a result, most of his patients receive more conservative treatments than surgery.

“We’re happy to get you better and get you doing what you want to do,” he said. “If you have a knee replacement or hip fracture surgery, we want to get you up and going right away. Over time, the pain subsides, and you can comfortably walk to church or the grocery store. That’s a success, too.”

Dr. Smith said he enjoys developing a relationship with patients and their families. With all his patients, Dr. Smith said he takes the time to listen.

Smith grew up in Oldham County, outside Louisville, playing football, baseball, and tennis. When he was 11, he realized there were specialized doctors who cared for athletes when he read about injured stars like the legendary professional football and baseball player Bo Jackson.

“Initially, I thought orthopedics was only sports medicine,” Dr. Smith said.  “Over time, I came to learn about the entire spectrum of the conditions we treat.”

Dr. Smith attended the University of Louisville both as an undergraduate and for medical school. He did his medical residency at the University of Toledo Medical Center and a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Wake Forest University.

Dr. Smith then began practice in a small town in Southern Indiana taking care of the athletes from several local high schools. Working for Norton Healthcare and returning to Louisville was a homecoming. Dr. Smith’s wife is from Henry County. The couple have threeschool-aged children.

Caring for Division I athletes is a dream come true for Dr. Smith.

“Taking care of patients of all ages and activity levels has been very rewarding. My new role allows me to treat these collegiate athletes on and off the field,” he said.

The post Sports medicine was always the plan for University of Louisville football’s head team physician appeared first on Norton Healthcare.