Is Sleep Apnea One of the Causes of Gout?
There are many different potential triggers for gout that you should be aware of if you suffer from the condition. One of the potential triggers that we've been asked about recently is sleep apnea. It may seem as though these two conditions are completely unrelated, but in reality, they are connected. The connection was first noticed when sleep apnea patients received treatment for their disorder and they noticed their gout symptoms simultaneously improved.
The reason for this link is believed to be the reduction in blood oxygen during apnea episodes, causing cell disintegration in the body and the generation of uric acid in the bloodstream. The cause of gout is, after all, the presence of uric acid crystals in the joints. Furthermore, during apnea there is an increase in the carbon dioxide percentage within the blood, making the blood's acidity level higher and increasing the risk of uric acid precipitation as monosodium urate. This can collect in the joints and can even lead to an increased risk of developing kidney stones.
This effect is very similar to what happens within the cells when excess alcohol is consumed. And it should be noted that drinking alcohol can cause sleep apnea to become more pronounced. Therefore, gout sufferers with sleep apnea have two major reasons to avoid drinking alcohol.
Other links between sleep apnea and gout include show up in the fact that not only are primary gout sufferers demographically the same as the primary sleep apnea sufferers (middle-aged, overweight men), but sleep apnea and gout are also both much more common among women who have been through menopause. Also, both gout and sleep apnea are associated with people who have a larger neck circumference.
Most notably, though, is that gout attacks are the most common while asleep, indicating that sleep has an impact on gout attacks and sleep disturbances and conditions may also influence the causes of gout attacks.
Until recently, gout and sleep apnea have been treated separately. However, many sleep apnea patients who implement treatments for that condition find that their gout improves at the same time.
The treatments for sleep apnea include preventative actions, such as avoiding sleeping on one's back. When sleeping on the back, the airway can become constricted and is more likely to close, causing the oxygen levels in the blood to be lower than in other sleeping positions. Therefore, changing the way you sleep can help to prevent gout attacks simply by increasing the overall blood oxygen level. Other sleep apnea treatments can include a pressurized CPAP mask or surgery.
No matter the final remedy, improvements to a patients sleep apnea problem ensures that blood oxygen levels remain high, minimizing uric acid and monosodium urate precipitation and therefore gout flare ups.
So, if you're suffering from gout, you may want to check to make sure that you are not also suffering from sleep apnea, as it may be one of the causes of gout aggravations in your body. Then you will be able to look into both sleep apnea treatments and remedies for the gout itself. Speak to your physician about undergoing a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea or not.
If you've suffered from a gout attack or two now is the time to take action to stop the attacks in their tracks and discover effective preventative steps before your uric acid levels get out of hand.
Related Tags: gout symptom, cause of gout, sleep apnea and gout, what causes gout, sleep disorders and gout
Grab your free copy of Lisa McDowell's brand new Gout Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you discover more about the different causes of gout and the natural gout home remedies that are available. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl