Cracking open an ice-cold can of beer after a long day is something that many of us enjoy, but make sure that you don’t overdo it! A 29-year-old man from Guangdong, China surnamed Wu recently experienced a stinging pain in his knee joint. It was so painful that he was not able to walk and even had trouble falling asleep.
Normal knee fluid | Source: ET Today
He endured the pain for about two weeks before he decided to seek treatment, according to China Times. His friends brought him to the hospital as his knee was in so much pain that he couldn’t walk. When he reached the hospital, doctors examined his leg and discovered that it was swelling abnormally, so they performed a joint puncture test on his knee.
However, when he did the joint puncture on Wu, the doctor was shocked to find that when he extracted the liquid from his knee it was different from normal. Usually, the fluid extracted should be about 3 to 5ml of pale yellow, slightly sticky joint fluid but instead, the liquid from Wu’s knee was cloudy, thick and milk-white in colour.
Source: QQ
Source: ET Today
After careful consultation, it was discovered that Wu loves the alcoholic beverage so much, he has been drinking it daily since he was a teen. Don’t drink when you’re underage! Sometimes, he even drank up to 10 cans a day, and doctors said that he was suffering from a terrible case of gout that was further affected by his love for beer. They deduced that the abnormal-looking fluid from his knee could be related to his excessive consumption of beer as well.
Gout occurs when too many urate crystals form in your joint, which causes it to be inflamed and brings on an attack. This happens because of high levels of uric acid in your blood. Uric acid is formed when your body breaks down purines, which can be found in certain foods such as steak, organ meats and seafood. Alcoholic beverages, especially beer, contain a high amount of alcohol and brewer’s yeast can trigger gout pain.
Source: iStock
Luckily for Wu, the doctor managed to treat his gout and he gradually recovered. He was discharged from the hospital when the pain lessened, and he could finally sleep.
Remember, overconsumption of anything is bad for you! Drink responsibly!
Also read: Selangor Health Dept: Drinking Raw Fresh Milk Can Cause Severe Bacterial Infection
