Gout is a form of arthritis that happens when uric acid forms crystals in the joints (typically in the big toe), causing sudden attacks of severe pain, swelling, and tenderness.
It affects over 9 million Americans each year, and can limit the range of motion in the joints it affects. Left untreated, it can lead to worsening pain and joint damage. Diet, weight, family history, medications, injury, and medical conditions can all be risk factors to developing gout, but it is commonly addressed by lifestyle changes and medications.
How are people using social media to discuss gout remedies?
The Trends Section provides an overview of some of the most recent and relevant topics that relate to particular health conditions.
It features a selection of the topics that have the fastest growing Google search interest across the last three months, and reflects the inquiries of patients, healthcare providers, scientists, and others who are invested in the topic.
This is valuable to understand people’s interests and concerns at the present moment, and often include the U.S. states that have the highest interest in a topic.
Quilt.AI brings these trends to life through an analysis that incorporates both cultural and scientific lenses.
Search interest for “home remedies for gout” increased by 23% in the past 3 month, from June to August 2022
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The past three months have seen an increase in the number of people searching for natural and home remedies for gout. These searches lead to a range of recommendations, including common household staples like baking soda, cherries, ginger and apple cider vinegar.
The interest in home remedies makes sense, given the speed at which gout develops and intensifies. Home remedies come in handy while sufferers wait to see a doctor about their gout pain.
The information on what natural and home remedies are best for gout varies widely across blogs, healthcare organization websites and other sources, and can include the household staples mentioned above, supplements and even cryotherapy. There is an opportunity for a definitive guide to this important topic.
Studies show that men are three times more likely to get gout than women. This, combined with the steady increase in gout incidence – esp. among younger adults – in recent years is driving an increase in search interest in the impact of gout on men’s health.
This increase in interest is warranted, as the high levels of uric acid that cause gout can lead to more serious conditions like erectile dysfunction, kidney stones and even heart disease.
Three-quarters of searchers for this topic are men, mostly between the ages of 35 and 64.
This trend presents an opportunity to speak to men about preventing and addressing gout early, with interventions that make sense for their lifestyles.
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Search interest for “gout and men’s health” has increased by 655% in the past 3 months, from June to August 2022
Search interest for “anti gout diet” has increased by 84% in the last 3 months, June to July 2022.
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Along with natural and home remedies, more and more people are also searching for broader diet and lifestyle adjustments that can prevent gout. This makes sense, as the high levels of uric acid that cause gout stem in part from common food items like pork, seafood, cereal and fast food.
This interest in anti-gout diets presents an opportunity for brands and organizations to collaborate with dieticians and nutritionists on major social media platforms such as TikTok. Gout sufferers will appreciate bite-sized and engaging content on the food and drinks to consume or avoid to prevent gout.
Colchicine is a medicine for treating inflammation and pain. It can be taken alone or alongside other drugs to prevent gout flare-ups, or to manage them when they occur.
However, taking colchicine can be complicated, as the directions for use can differ from doctor to doctor, and from one online information source to another. As well, its side effects can be uncomfortable or even painful.
Especially given its common usage and prescription for gout, there is an opportunity for a definitive guide to using colchicine safely, either through social media or through credible healthcare portals.
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Search interest for “colchicine for gout flare” increased by 42% in the last 3 months, from June to August 2022
Search interest for “ground elder” increased by 37% in the last 3 months, from June to August 2022
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Ground elder, or goutweed, is a species of flowering plant that is largely used ornamentally, but is also sometimes used in food and medicine.
Goutweed has a history as treatment for gout and arthritis. It was traditionally applied in hot wraps by boiling the leaves and roots together, or ingested for its diuretic and sedative effects.
Although usage of goutweed for gout has declined in modern times, it can still be found in supplements that increase the passing of urine and – with it – uric acid from the body.
The increased interest in goutweed in its natural form is consistent with the increasing interest in natural remedies for gout.
The Culture Section highlights emerging cultural trends, new products, and notable dialogue about a variety of health conditions. The purpose of this section is to zoom in on what has been happening within the cultural and professional landscape of a particular health condition–stories that are often missed by quantitative searches.
By featuring influential social media items, patient discourse, professional dialogue, product innovations, and impactful news items, this section illuminates the lived experiences of many patients, while also providing a snapshot of the developments happening around them.
Here, Quilt.AI offers a detailed and nuanced perspective of what is new and what is meaningful.
Many healthcare professionals – especially doctors and dieticians – are using TikTok as a platform to educate the public about the causes, management and treatment of gout. The information provided encompasses simple dietary changes that can prevent the condition or its flare-ups, as well as complex surgical procedures to remove gout stones.
This discourse is needed and helpful, esp. as cases of gout are steadily increasing among younger, active people, even as it continues to be seen as a condition suffered only by the elderly and/or overly indulgent. This information helps people recognize that they might have gout, and gives them ways of managing the pain of the condition while waiting to see a doctor.
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People with gout are posting personal accounts of how they deal with the pain of gout on TikTok. Many share tested and proven ways to manage gout flare-ups without drugs. These include cold water baths and fruit/vegetable juices, as well as meal planning and broader dietary changes. These videos are usually tagged under #goutrelief and #arthritisrelief.While helpful, this type of social media content can also leave people susceptible to misinformation. It’s therefore important for trusted healthcare brands and medical professionals to weigh in, and dispel any false or dangerous information about remedying gout symptoms.
On Twitter, conversations skew towards identifying the true roots of gout. This is an important conversation, as gout tends to be wrapped up in false beliefs that have been inherited over generations.
Much of the Twitter conversation associates gout with other health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity, and discusses their shared roots in highly processed food, alcohol and sugary drinks.
There is an opportunity on Twitter to clearly link gout with the foods that truly cause the condition, with credible and consistent content from healthcare professionals.
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