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When a gout attack strikes it's usually excruciatingly painful, leaving most sufferers willing to do almost anything to make the pain go away. Because for some people, even when they do their best to eat the right diet, and take all of the other precautions that are suggested by medical professionals, an attack can occur. There are a few things you can do right away to stop your gout attack from getting worse, and you may even be able to lessen the pain and shorten the length of the attack. It all depends on what you do when it happens.

The best time to start fighting a gout attack is when you first notice the warning signs that one may be about to flare. You may not be able to put a stop to it completely, but there are some steps you can take to ease the pain and reduce the duration.

One natural remedy that many sufferers rely on when they feel a gout attack coming is to take celery seed as a supplement. This option should be discussed with your doctor, but taking the recommended amounts can help lessen the severity of your attack. Not only that, it can also help reduce the inflammation of the joints and can calm and soothe muscles that may cramp.

Another suggested natural remedy that can reduce your gout attack is to eat a lot of cherries. There are a number of suggested amounts, but eating a large handful of fresh cherries or drinking cherry juice when you feel that a gout attack is imminent can help cut the severity of your attack in half and lessen your pain. Some suggest eating a half a pound of them a day and others recommend a pound or more. That's a lot of cherries to eat, and will be hard if you don't like them, but you can think of them as a natural way to fight your attack. You can try cherry juice as a substitute, but make sure it is 100% real cherry juice. Some people with bad attacks have eaten or drunk the equivalent of two pounds when they fear an attack is near. Just be aware that too much fruit can play havoc with your digestion system, especially if you're not used to the large quantities.

If these natural remedies don't work or your wish to take a two-pronged approach, you can fight the pain and inflammation associated with a gout attack by taking a high dose of an anti inflammatory medication otherwise known as NSAID. These can be taken up to four times a day, but bear in mind that this may not be work for everyone. When you want to take this approach, talk with your doctor about the amount you should take, when you should take it, and how often. While NSAID's can help with inflammation and pain, you do want to be sure you are not taking too much or that you are simply not taking enough.

Along with those three things that may help you stop a gout attack, or at least lessen the duration of such an attack, you should also try to rest the joint and take it easy if you feel an attack coming. If possible, try and keep the affected area elevated and use heat and ice to help with the inflammation if needed. Stay off your feet if at all possible, and stick to low purine foods so an not to increase your uric acid levels further. If pain is utterly unbearable and nothing seems to help, call your doctor immediately for more suggestions.