Gout
Yes, gout -- the so-called "disease of kings" (and fat old men). I have it. The immediate cause my recent attack appears to have been dehydration following multiple long-distance flights and diarrhea that I caught from the person next to me on the flight back from India (the poor sick woman threw up when my breakfast arrived and coughed steadily the whole time, so I could hardly avoid sharing her viruses). People like me with hypothyroidism are apparently particularly susceptible to gout too.
Gout is caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints, especially in the big toe. A diet that low in purines, which convert to uric acid, can help to control gout. Beer is a major culprit, since it is rich in purines. Strong liquors are best avoided, but wine (up to about 300 ml) is apparently not a problem except possibly immediately during an attack (says the Mayo Clinic). Drinking lots and lots of water is strongly recommended.
People with gout are supposed to cut down on the amount of meat they eat, but I normally eat so little meat that cutting back is almost irrelevant. Seafood can also be a problem and is one I regret more. The recommendation is to limit meat / fish intake to about 110 - 170 grams per day. Clearly I will have to cut down on fish a bit, especially herring, which like and eat regularly in Berlin.
In discussions about data privacy this sort of health information often comes up as an example of what ought to be protected. I agree that people should have a choice, but I also think that it is important for people with some public presence to talk openly about diseases and disabilities that are less well known or are perhaps seen as not quite nice. Betty Ford (wife of former US President Gerald Ford) did a great service in talking about breast cancer and saved many lives by getting women to go for screening. My friend Catherine Murray-Rust (Georgia Tech) has been on television to talk about colon cancer. I learned about dyslexia first from a Cornell student who talked openly about his own case, and I now talk about it regularly in class, both as an example of an accessibility issue and in case others have symptoms without knowing it. So if anyone has a sore toe, this gout posting may be a warning.
Note: gout affects men in far higher proportions than women (at least until menopause).
Gout is caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints, especially in the big toe. A diet that low in purines, which convert to uric acid, can help to control gout. Beer is a major culprit, since it is rich in purines. Strong liquors are best avoided, but wine (up to about 300 ml) is apparently not a problem except possibly immediately during an attack (says the Mayo Clinic). Drinking lots and lots of water is strongly recommended.
People with gout are supposed to cut down on the amount of meat they eat, but I normally eat so little meat that cutting back is almost irrelevant. Seafood can also be a problem and is one I regret more. The recommendation is to limit meat / fish intake to about 110 - 170 grams per day. Clearly I will have to cut down on fish a bit, especially herring, which like and eat regularly in Berlin.
In discussions about data privacy this sort of health information often comes up as an example of what ought to be protected. I agree that people should have a choice, but I also think that it is important for people with some public presence to talk openly about diseases and disabilities that are less well known or are perhaps seen as not quite nice. Betty Ford (wife of former US President Gerald Ford) did a great service in talking about breast cancer and saved many lives by getting women to go for screening. My friend Catherine Murray-Rust (Georgia Tech) has been on television to talk about colon cancer. I learned about dyslexia first from a Cornell student who talked openly about his own case, and I now talk about it regularly in class, both as an example of an accessibility issue and in case others have symptoms without knowing it. So if anyone has a sore toe, this gout posting may be a warning.
Note: gout affects men in far higher proportions than women (at least until menopause).
Labels: health
posted by Michael Seadle at 12:13 PM
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