Gout is not something that younger entrepreneurs are often familiar with because it mostly affects older people. However, because it’s caused by an excess of uric acid within the blood, younger people can be surprisingly affected too.
It mostly affects men, but women are also susceptible post-menopause. It’s a type of arthritic pain that is evident in the joints where swelling can make it difficult to get around. For anyone who’s an energetic entrepreneur and who moves around with gusto, suffering from gout is a real setback.
How Gout Can Interfere with Business Life.
The most common area to be affected is the big toe where its joint becomes inflamed. This makes it difficult to wear business shoes for starters. Paddling around in oversize socks is recommended at this point; staying off your feet is much better though when a gout attack hits.
Co-workers may not realize you suffer from it. Most attacks happen at some point through the night and continue for a few hours; perhaps longer too. There tends to be no warning when an attack will happen making it difficult to plan to work towards business goals.
What About Corporate Entertaining?
Entertaining potential clients by schmoozing, taking them out to restaurants or having casual meetups at a bar is traditional, but there are anecdotal findings that alcohol consumption and gout don’t mix well. That is to say, there’s a correlation that’s been noticed between drinking and a fresh bout of gout.
Because of the possibility that this could affect you in the same way, it’s probably best to stick to non-alcoholic beverages. You can say that you have “an early start in the morning” to explain it away.
Medical Testing Possible?
Doctors are able to perform a test on your blood for the current level of uric acid. This doesn’t confirm whether you’ll suffer from gout or if you already do, how frequently attacks will occur. However, it provides a good starting point if you’re worried about it.
It’s also possible to have gout even with average levels of uric acid present, conflicting with the belief that higher levels cause it alone. The answer is, it depends.
What Treatments Make Sense?
If you have gout, maybe you’ve already been prescribed medication. If this is Uloric (known as febuxostat), then be aware that the FDA has been investigating findings on this medicine for several years due to some adverse effects reported by gout sufferers.
So far, the findings suggest the taking Uloric can put a person at greater risk of having a stroke or a heart attack and sometimes lose their life as a result. Another medicine – allopurinol – doesn’t have the same reports. If you’re currently taking the medicine Uloric, consult with your doctor. If you have adverse effects while taking it, consider discussing these with an attorney familiar with the Uloric concerns currently.
When running any startup, taking care of your health is more important than you realize. Don’t wait to get to a point where your immune system is rundown and you get sick before taking it more seriously. You can only be at your most productive when you slow down in response to your body’s needs. It’s possible to get more done in the long run that way too.
