Seasonal Talk – Gout – Treatment and Care
10 January 2015
Gout – Treatment and Care Talk was taken part in the Auditorium of Christian Family Service Centre in Kwun Tong on 10 January 2015. The talk aimed to enhance people’s understanding of the treatment and daily care of gout. There were 124 participants in total.
The talk was started by Dr. NG Woon-leung, a specialist in Rheumatology, to introduce basic information of gout by using the historical figure as an example. Gout which was caused by an uncontrolled metabolic disorder, was the most common rheumatic disease recently. This resulted in high level of uric acid in blood and acute inflammatory arthritis. Dr. NG further introduced the common medications for treating gout. He emphasized that medications could only relieve the symptoms but not cure the disease completely. Patients should be aware of their living style and decrease the intake of purine-rich food. Moreover, they should communicate well with medical personnel to make up a plan to decrease the blood uric acid level gradually and monitor the level regularly.
Apart from this, the talk was continued by Ms. LEE Pik-fan, a rheumatology nurse, to further explain the symptoms of gout. The common purine-rich food and undesired cooking method were listed to alarm the participants to prevent from such unhealthy living style. 3 liters water per day, 30 minutes of aerobic exercises were recommended for patients to enhance the excretion of uric acid. Gout could not be cured completely but appropriate medication and healthy eating habit could prevent the relapse of disease. She shared an example that a patient with severe uric acid crystals at fingers and toes sought medical consultation. The crystals dissolved gradually and the patient recovered well in two years by a healthy diet and proper medication. Lastly, she encouraged the participants to monitor their uric acid level and maintain a healthy living style to prevent gout.
The talk then followed by a Q&A session where participants actively asked questions. Dr. NG and Ms. LEE answered with patience to solve their doubts. The audiences found the information from the talk useful and showed great interested in similar topic.
