Gout Pal Interactive

Voltaren is a brand name for diclofeenac - a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID). Though it will help ease the pain of gout, it does nothing to prevent it - i.e. it treats the symptoms, not the cause.

Though your symptoms sound very gout-like, it is a good idea to confirm the diagnosis with a rheumatologist, who should also be able to assess the seriousness of your gout and advise you if diet improvement is likely to be successful, or if you need medication to lower your uric acid.

I think the eyesight thing is probably an age related coincidence - there is no reason it should be linked to gout. However, are you sure it's short-sightedness? Vision deterioration is normally long-sighted. You need to see an optician - which is a good idea for anyone over 40. High uric acid is a recognised risk factor for diabetes, and I believe there is a vision issue with diabetes, though I'm not exactly sure what this is.

Normally, gout attacks go away after a few days, though there is little to stop them coming back if uric acid remains high. There is nothing intricsically wrong with spicy food, but too much meat may be an issue. Though it has long been suggested that high protein is the risk factor, I am now coming round to the view (thanks to Iron Brian) that it is probably too much iron.

By the way, thank you for my favourite line - “kick a ball or other player”. Now that's what I call football. Bite yer legs.