All About Gout

Content

• Become A Member Of Our Health And Wellness Email List
• Can I Prevent Gout?
• Who Is Affected By Gout?
• How Does Diet Affect Gout?
• How A Gout Flare

Although these medications can relieve short-term joint pain, they don’t reduce the levels of uric acid in the body. Gout is a type of arthritis caused by an excess of a chemical called uric acid, also called urate. This excess acid in the bloodstream can prompt urate crystals to form around certain joints in the body, most often the big toe, resulting in inflammation. Steroids are reserved for patients who cannot tolerate or who do not respond well to anti-inflammatory medications or colchicine.

A doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to prevent recurrent gout attacks along with prescribed medications. While it is reasonable to decrease or avoid these foods, it has been found that a high purine-rich diet does not increase the risk of gout, or aggrevate symptoms in research studies. Commonly used medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , colchicine, or corticosteroids. These reduce inflammation and pain in the areas affected by gout and are usually taken orally. Experiencing recent surgery or trauma can sometimes trigger a gout attack.

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At Wake Forest Baptist, our priority is to better understand the mechanisms of chronic musculoskeletal pain and discover new treatment paradigm for this disabling condition. Uric acid is a break down product of DNA - the genetic material of the body. DNA and related nucleic acids are continuously being made and replaced.

Can I Prevent Gout?

Relieve inflammation by taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . But don't take aspirin, which may abruptly change uric acid levels and may make symptoms worse. Specific treatment depends on whether you are having an acute attack or are trying to manage long-term gout and prevent future attacks. This may be done if your doctor cannot safely get fluid from the affected joint. A joint fluid analysis to see whether uric acid crystals are present.

Medical disorders that affect kidney function and therefore the elimination of uric acid can cause gout. Examples of conditions that can cause gout include high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, underactive thyroid gland, hemolytic anemia, psoriasis, hyperlipidemia and some cancers. Drugs can lower blood levels of uric acid by decreasing the body’s production of uric acid or increasing the excretion of uric acid in the urine. The lower the blood uric acid level, the faster the deposits will dissolve. As the deposits start to dissolve , crystals can be released and cause mobilization flares. These flares are a sign that the drugs are working and should not be stopped.

Patients can help prevent flares when starting these medications by also using low‐dose colchicine or NSAIDs. Often, doctors advise patients to keep taking colchicine in a low, preventive dose together with the uric acid-lowering medicine for at least six months. This medicine can be effective if given early in the attack. However, colchicine can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other side effects. Patients with kidney or liver disease, or who take drugs that interact with colchicine, must take lower doses or use other medicines. Colchicine also has an important role in preventing gout attacks .

Is Bacon okay for gout?

Meat: Though no longer part of a common diet in the United States, organ meats, such as liver, sweetbreads, and brains, are most dangerous for those with gout. High purine content: Bacon, turkey, veal, venison.

Joints can also become extremely swollen and bulbous, which can make moving the joint in question difficult and painful. Dr. Weisman added that “one study showed cherries might reduce the risk of gout attacks. Another suggested that high doses of regular or decaf coffee — four cups a day or more — can be helpful.” Ask your about lifestyle changes that might be helpful. While gout is no longer thought to be a disease of the wealthy, it is more common in men and people with weight-related health problems including high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Moderate changes to your eating style may help you feel better and reduce gout risks, and research suggests that purine-rich vegetables don’t trigger gout. High-purine foods such as lentils and beans can be a smart source of lean protein.

The Role Of Medication In Prevention Of Gout

The symptoms can range from mild to severe and often begin in the middle of the night. Gout is a chronic disease that can cause symptoms in acute stages called attacks or flares. The first attack usually occurs at night and is usually limited to one affected joint. Flares can occur regularly for some people, while for others they may occur every few months or even years apart. Steroids are commonly used to battle the painful form or arthritis. Just like the medications described above, steroids help combat pain and inflammation.

Gout is more common after surgery, trauma, and dehydration. Certain medications such as diuretics , which treat high blood pressure, that raise the level of uric acid in the bloodstream are risks for gout. Surprisingly, medications that lower the level of uric acid in the bloodstream, such as allopurinol , can also initially cause a flare of gout. This is because anything that raises or lowers the uric acid level can cause a gout flare by causing uric acid crystals to deposit in a joint. The treatment of certain types of cancer can cause gout because of high levels of uric acid released when the cancer cells are destroyed.

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Usually, gout develops during middle age in men and after menopause in women. Gout is rare in younger people but is often more severe in people who develop the disorder before age 30. Many people will have another attack in the next 6 to12 months. The conditions that cause gout and kidney disease include uromodulin kidney disease and inherited kidney disease due to mutations in renin.

The advantage of betamethasone is a decreased likelihood of temporarily worsened flares the day after the injection, which is the most common adverse reaction to local steroid injections. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and COX-2 inhibitors are the mainstay of therapy of acute attacks of gout in patients who have no contra-indication to them. These medications include such agents as naproxen (Naprosyn®), ibuprofen (Motrin®), celecoxib (Celebrex®), indomethacin (Indocin®) and many others. These agents reliably decrease the inflammation and pain of gout. The doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents needed to resolve a gout attack are on the higher side, since full anti-inflammatory effect is needed. Over-the-counter dosage levels, for example, ibuprofen at 200mg, two tabs three times a day, are often insufficient.

Who Is Affected By Gout?

There may also be genetic risk factors for gout, since it tends to run in families. Gout is most commonly seen in men older than age 40, but it can strike anyone, especially postmenopausal women. Pacific Islanders are far more susceptible to gout compared to other ethnic groups. Gout is not curable, but it can be successfully managed with medical therapy and lifestyle changes. Its symptoms resemble those of several other diseases, disorders and conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis and pseudogout.

Also, there is an increased prevalence of abnormally low thyroid hormone levels in patients with gout. Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines — substances that are found naturally in your body. The physician will insert a needle into the affected joint to extract joint fluid, then study the sample under a microscope to look for uric acid crystals. If uric acid crystals are present, the doctor can confirm the diagnosis.