Does Gout Cause You to Sweat More?

Did you know that you have anywhere between 2 million and 4 million sweat glands on your body? While women generally have more sweat glands, men’s glands are usually more active and we sweat more. Sweat maintains your body temperature keeping you from overheating, helps rid your body of toxins supporting your immune system, helps clear your pores, lowering the risk of developing skin infections and kills viruses and dangerous bacteria since they can’t survive in temperatures higher than 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

As a gout sufferer, I must admit… I sweat a lot! And you probably do as well! In fact when I noticed that I started sweating more than usual was around the same time as I was diagnosed with gout. Actually the condition hyperhidrosis which is characterized by you sweating more than usual or in excess of what your body requires to regulate your body temperature, lists diabetes, thyroid, menopause, tumours as well as gout as disorders that can trigger hyperhidrosis.

I noticed in myself, that sometimes if I was nervous, other people would just blush or may have felt a little warmer, whereas I would sweat rather easily and this would make me even more nervous causing me to sweat even more. Not fun I tell ya! As a matter of fact, gout sufferers over the age of 60 and male, experience as a group the most excessive sweating.

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But Does Sweat Help Excrete Uric Acid?

The answer is yes! We all know that gout is caused by high uric acid in the blood and the best way to flush uric acid out of your body is through urination but you can also remove uric acid through perspiration as well. They both help to eliminate toxins from your body. Do note that dehydration increases uric acid so that’s why it’s so important for the gout sufferer to drink lots of water and stay hydrated at all times.

Did you know that sweat has 99% water and urine has 95% water? Yet urination is more efficient at excreting uric acid compared to sweating. One study did state that all they found was 6.3% of uric acid excreted from the blood from sweating which is quite minimal.

Research has also shown that people who sweat more via exercise for example may have a lower risk of developing kidney stones. You sweat out more salt instead of having it form as stone in the kidneys and since people that sweat more usually drink more water which is another way to avoid kidney stones. Remember if you suffer from gout you are at a higher risk of developing kidney stones later in life.

What you want to watch out for is heavy sweating or sweating profusely which can be counterproductive and raise your uric acid levels. For example, strenuous exercise since by sweating more, this will cause you to urinate less and urinating is the preferable method of ridding your body of excess uric acid, so this is why uric acid levels can go higher. Staying well hydrated at all times is the key to limiting this.

Remember that if you sweat a lot, that this will cause your body to lose lots of fluid and electrolytes. I’ve emphasized it many times on this website, to always stay well hydrated and replace those electrolytes naturally. I like to drink coconut water when exercising to replenish my electrolytes or simply eat a banana, that will help too! If you hit the sauna, that’s fine but make sure to stay hydrated. The time it took me to write this post, I drank an entire bottle of water, time to urinate, talk to you next time!

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