Gout

Overview

Gout, a painful form of arthritis, occurs when excess uric acid forms sharp crystals in joints, often the big toe. It's the most common inflammatory arthritis, especially in older men. High uric acid levels, from breaking down purines found in the body and certain foods, cause gout. Treatment typically involves managing symptoms and dietary changes.

What is Gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes sudden and intense pain in your joints, like your big toe. It can feel like your toe is on fire! The joint will be red, swollen, and so sensitive that even a bedsheet touching it can hurt. These attacks can happen at night and wake you up. The good news is that even though gout can be uncomfortable, there are ways to manage the pain and prevent these attacks from happening again.

Symptoms of Gout

Gout attacks strike fast, often at night, and cause intense pain in your joints. While the big toe is a common target, any joint can be affected, including your ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, and fingers. The worst pain usually hits within the first few hours of an attack.

Even after the sharp pain eases, some discomfort may linger for days or weeks. Over time, gout attacks can become more frequent and last longer, affecting more joints. You might also notice redness, swelling, warmth, and tenderness around the affected joint. In severe cases, gout can limit how well you can move your joints.

If you experience sudden and intense joint pain, see a doctor. Early treatment can help manage gout and prevent future damage. Seek immediate medical attention if you have a fever along with a hot and swollen joint, as this could be a sign of infection.

Another sign of gout is inflammation and redness. The affected joint will likely become swollen, tender, warm, and red, making it quite uncomfortable. As gout progresses, you might also find it harder to move your joints normally, like bending your toe or making a fist.

Here's when you should see a doctor:
If a sudden and intense joint pain hits you out of nowhere, call your doctor. Leaving gout untreated can make the pain worse and damage your joints in the long run.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have a fever along with a hot and inflamed joint. This could be a sign of an infection, which is a serious complication.

Remember, early diagnosis and treatment are key to managing gout and preventing these painful attacks.

Causes of Gout

Gout is a painful condition that causes sudden attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and tenderness in your joints. It happens when sharp crystals build up inside your joints, like tiny needles.

These crystals form because your body has too much uric acid in the blood. Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and gets flushed out by your kidneys. But sometimes, your body makes too much uric acid, or your kidneys can't get rid of it all.

Eating lots of red meat, organ meats, seafood like anchovies and sardines, sugary drinks, and beer can raise uric acid levels. Being overweight can make it harder for your body to get rid of uric acid. High blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney problems can all increase your risk. Certain medications, like low-dose aspirin, some blood pressure medications, and anti-rejection drugs after organ transplants, can also affect uric acid levels. If someone in your family has gout, you're more likely to get it too. Men are more likely to get gout, especially between 30 and 50. Women are more likely to get it after menopause. Recent surgery or a sudden injury can also sometimes trigger a gout attack.

Test and Treatment for Gout

Diagnosing gout involves checking your symptoms and the affected joint. Doctors might use several tests like a Joint fluid test where a needle takes fluid from your joint to see if urate crystals are present. Blood test in which This checks uric acid levels in your blood, but high levels don't always mean gout. X-rays which will help rule out other causes of joint inflammation. Ultrasound to look for urate crystals in your joints. DECT scan, this combines X-ray images to see urate crystals better.

Gout medications come in two types, each with its own purpose. One type helps with the swelling and pain during gout attacks, while the other type aims to prevent gout issues by lowering the uric acid levels in your blood.

Which medication suits you best depends on how often you experience symptoms, how severe they are, and any other health conditions you may have.

For treating gout attacks you need the Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen can ease pain but might cause stomach problems. Colchicine also helps with pain but could bring about nausea or diarrhea. Corticosteroids like prednisone, taken orally or via injections, can control inflammation and pain but may have side effects like mood swings.

Prevention for Gout

For preventing gout problems, drugs like allopurinol or febuxostat reduce uric acid levels but may have side effects like rash or liver issues. Medications like probenecid aid in removing uric acid through the kidneys but may cause stomach pain or kidney stones.

Medications are often used to treat gout attacks and prevent them from coming back. But besides medicine, your lifestyle choices matter too. Here are some things you can do, Drink healthier beverages. Try to limit how much alcohol you drink and avoid drinks with fruit sugar (fructose). Instead, drink lots of non-alcoholic drinks, especially water. Watch what you eat. Foods high in purines, like red meat, liver, and certain seafood, can make gout worse. Instead, consider low-fat dairy products for protein. Stay active and try to lose weight. Being at a healthy weight lowers your chances of getting gout again. Activities like walking, biking, and swimming are good because they don't put too much stress on your joints.