Gout is often called gouty arthritis because of its tie-up with arthritis. The condition we call gout is actually just one of a hundred or so types of arthritis. It is often looked upon as the most painful of all arthritis conditions and accounts for some 5% of all cases of arthritis.

Gouty arthritis symptoms are typically the following; stiffness, heat, swelling, redness, inflammation and, of course, absolutely agonizing pain. These symptoms can appear in any joint but the vast majority of all gouty arthritis appears in the big toe.

Gouty arthritis symptoms are caused by the build-up of uric acid crystals in the joints and associated tissue. These are needle-like in nature and so trigger the inflammatory symptoms of a gout attack. Crystals usually form as a result of relatively high uric acid levels in the sufferer's blood.

Uric acid is produced in your body as a byproduct of your body's normal metabolizing process. High uric acid can occur when your kidneys aren't able to process excess uric acid in the blood efficiently enough. It can also occur when your body produces too much uric acid for your kidneys to deal with.

Although doctors nearly always prescribe drug-based medication for gouty arthritis, these can have some horrible side effects. Luckily, there are many natural gout remedies that can help you beat gout. In fact, because drugs don't necessarily address the underlying causes of gout, it could be argued that natural remedies are more effective.

One of the most popular and effective home remedies for gouty arthritis is the use of cherries. These have natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that make them ideal for reducing inflammation and pain. But they can also reduce uric acid levels, which makes them even more effective in eliminating gout symptoms.

Eat 30 to 40 cherries, every 4 hours, during an attack. Repeat until your symptoms have abated. To try to maintain lower uric acid, continue eating 30 or 40 cherries each day. Alternatively, you can drink natural cherry juice (normal or concentrated) you get from the health food store.

Now, although this home remedy for gouty arthritis symptoms can be very effective, there's a whole lot more you need to do to prevent these attacks in the first place. Did you know that frequent attacks of gout can produce permanent joint damage and kidney problems? And, if you've had just one attack, your risk of more is now much higher...