Gout Treatment, Diet, Cause, Symptoms, Definition & Medication

Content

• What Complications Are Associated With Gout?
• What Are The Symptoms Of Gout?

Many describe the affected joint as being so tender that the pressure of the bed sheets is uncomfortable. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are the best treatment for an acute gout attack unless the person has kidney problems or stomach ulcers. Patients who cannot use these anti-inflammatories require corticosteroids, either injected into the joint or taken as tablets . Gout is a form of arthritis that happens when too little uric acid is excreted from the body and then forms crystals in and around joints in the body. Uric acid forms when proteins called purines break down in the body.

The most commonly affected joint in gout is at the base of the big toe. At some point during the course of their illness, 90% of all individuals with gout will experience a flare in this joint at least once. Next in frequency is the mid section of the foot near the instep, followed by the ankle, the knee, and finally the elbow, wrist, and finger joints. Gout flare-ups are caused by an overabundance of uric acid.

What Complications Are Associated With Gout?

September is Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month, which is held to raise awareness about arthritis, lupus, gout, and more than 100 forms of rheumatic diseases. While some studies show that caffeine can actually protect against gout pain, others find that sudden spikes in caffeine intake can trigger an attack. CorticosteroidsTaken orally or injected directly into affected joint, the most common corticosteroids used for gout are prednisone, prednisolone, andmethylprednisolone.

What Are The Symptoms Of Gout?

Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Pseudogout has similar symptoms and is sometimes confused with gout. However, it is caused by calcium phosphate, not uric acid.

Corticosteroids are available for systemic use in various preparations, including oral, intravenous, and intramuscular; the most common routes of corticosteroid administration are oral and intravenous. The information in this article is not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Report symptoms of gout promptly, and follow your doctor’s advice about treatment, exercise, and diet. Recent research has focused on the genetic causes of gout.

Should I Tell My Family And Friends If I Have Gout?

Gout that is not treated can also damage the affected joints. Often, the first symptoms of a gout attack are sudden pain and swelling in one of your joints. The joint most often affected is the big toe, but gout can happen in any joint . A supervised weight-loss program may be effective in reducing uric acid level in overweight people.

However, uric acid levels in the blood alone are often misleading and may be transiently normal or even low. Additionally, uric acid levels are often elevated in individuals without gout. Some drugs lower the uric acid level in your blood by increasing the amount of uric acid passed in your urine. They help dissolve tophi and prevent uric acid deposits in joints.

When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider About Gout Symptoms?

These disorders should be identified and corrected, if possible. Changing your diet can help reduce the frequency of gout attacks. Avoiding alcohol may reduce your chance of getting gout attacks. If you get a skin rash while taking allopurinol or febuxostat, call your health care professional right away.

If side effects occur, stop taking the drug and notify your doctor. To prevent future episodes, you may have to continue taking a small dose of colchicine after the attack has cleared. Foods that have been implicated in causing gout are red-organ meats, seafood, and foods containing high-fructose corn syrup.

When used as one or two tablets a day (0.6mg each), most people tolerate this medication well, and this dose can help prevent gout attacks. Some physicians would start colchicine after one very severe or two moderately severe attacks of gout, and beyond that, use allopurinol. If a patient has two attacks of gout within the same 12 months, it is generally recommended that they be treated with a medication to lower the uric acid, which colchicine does not accomplish.

Is gout a symptom of kidney failure?

Kidney disease can lead to gout
When you have kidney disease, your kidneys cannot filter out uric acid as well as they should. Too much uric acid building up in the body may cause gout. Most people with early stage kidney disease do not know they have it. Gout can be a warning sign of kidney disease.

Gout is more common in men than in women and hits men at a younger age. Women do not typically develop gout until after menopause, between the ages of 55 and 70. You should see a doctor for any kind of joint pain to get an accurate diagnosis. Genetic predisposition for an abnormality in handling urate accounts for approximately half of all cases. Gout occurs mainly in middle-aged men, who represent 90 percent of all gout sufferers. Often they are obese and suffer from high blood pressure .

While it is not yet known whether therapy to reduce uric acid levels will result in prevention of these complications, this question is the subject of trials that are currently underway. Since several other kinds of arthritis can mimic a gout attack, and since treatment is specific to gout, proper diagnosis is essential. The definitive diagnosis of gout is dependent on finding uric acid crystals in the joint fluid during an acute attack.

Sleep Apnea Increases The Risk For Gout, Study Suggests

These attacks can occur for several years before the full-blown condition occurs. The treatment of these conditions is different than those used in the management of gout. Hyperuricemia often is caused by using diuretic medications ("water pills"). Diuretics are used to get rid of excess body fluid and to lower high blood pressure. However, diuretics can hamper the kidneys' ability to remove uric acid, thus raising uric acid levels in the blood. If you’re overweight, you are likely to have higher-than-normal uric acid levels, a primary risk factor for developing gout.

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