Everything You Should Know About Gout

Content

• Lifestyle Modifications Can Prevent Gout Attacks
• What Causes Gout Pain
• How Is Gout Treated?
• Genetics, Not Diet, Is The Likely Cause Of Gout
• Who Is At Risk For Gout?
• Treatment & Care

Consuming foods and beverages that are high in molecules called purines, such as red meat, seafood, dried beans, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to increased urate. When purines are broken down, urate is made, which can cause hyperuricemia and lead to gout in some individuals. In particular, women have an increased risk after menopause. The diagnosis begins with a history of your symptoms and a physical exam. Your health care professional will want to know when the pain started, what aggravates or eases it, and if any other joints in your body are involved. They may also ask you about your diet, alcohol consumption, or whether or not you have a family history of gout or any other related medical conditions.

The diagnosis of gout is made in the presence of 6 of the 10 criteria listed in Table 1. Whatever the mechanism of the elevated uric acid, the key event in gout is the movement of uric acid crystals into the joint fluid. This cycle also recruits more white blood cells to the joint, which accelerates the inflammatory process.

Lifestyle Modifications Can Prevent Gout Attacks

During your appointment, your doctor will likely ask you several questions about your diet, any medications you take, and whether you have a family history of gout. This can help to rule out other potential causes of your symptoms, including an infection or rheumatoid arthritis. Experiencing recent surgery or trauma can sometimes trigger a gout attack.

The increased precipitation at low temperatures partly explains why the joints in the feet are most commonly affected. Rapid changes in uric acid may occur due to factors including trauma, surgery, chemotherapy and diuretics. The starting or increasing of urate-lowering medications can lead to an acute attack of gout with febuxostat of a particularly high risk. Calcium channel blockers and losartan are associated with a lower risk of gout compared to other medications for hypertension. If you develop gout symptoms such as sudden, excruciating pain in one of your joints, call your doctor. Although an acute gout attack will go away on its own even if you don’t treat it, gout that’s left untreated can eventually lead to more severe pain and joint damage.

What Causes Gout Pain

Factors that influence rates of gout include age, race, and the season of the year. They, however, may work less well than usual doses of NSAIDS. The high cost of this class of drugs may also discourage their use for treating gout.

Historically, "colchicine" and "Indocin" have been prescribed for acute attacks of gout in the joints. While these treatments are not wrong, they work too slowly and do not help very well with the severe pain. And, the drug colchicine usually causes diarrhea, a very unwelcome side-effect. The "gutta", the drop of dead substance, is a breakdown product of food metabolism called uric acid - in purest form a white powder of small sharp crystals. Within the body it forms a white "chalky" liquid paste that can form into "drops". Under normal circumstances, our bodies' flush-out/excrete most of the breakdown products - the "poisons" - of food metabolism, either through the kidneys , or through the liver .

We may need to take X-Rays or blood tests to determine the extent of your condition. Miho J. Tanaka, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of sports medicine injuries. Jonathan Cluett, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery.

Genetics, Not Diet, Is The Likely Cause Of Gout

Symptoms of a gout attack on joints are similar no matter which joint is affected. When gout flares up, you will experience extreme pain and stiffness in the affected joints and the area will also be red and warm to the touch. Inflammation from the gout attack can also affect your entire body in the form of a fever, chills, fatigue, and achiness.

What foods cause gout?

Foods and drinks that often trigger gout attacks include organ meats, game meats, some types of fish, fruit juice, sugary sodas and alcohol. On the other hand, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, soy products and low-fat dairy products may help prevent gout attacks by lowering uric acid levels.

It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the WebMD Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

Seek prompt medical care if you have symptoms of gout, such as pain, redness, burning or swelling of a joint. No matter the location of gout attacks, the treatment is the same—lower uric acid levels so gout crystals disappear and tophi dissolve. Your doctor can test your urine and blood to determine your current levels. Normal uric acid levels typically range between 3.5 and 7.2 mg in men and between 2.6 and 6.0 mg in premenopausal women. If water pills are prescribed by your doctor, you must work with her/him to determine if other medicines can be used to just as effectively to treat your high blood pressure and/or fluid retention.

Who Is At Risk For Gout?

Uric-acid-lowering medications include allopurinol , febuxostat , probenecid, and pegloticase . Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis, affecting more than 9 million adults in the U.S., according to recent data. Gout is a condition that develops when the body has high levels of uric acid, a normal waste product. Uric acid is normally excreted through the body via the kidneys, but in some people, levels can remain high and uric acid can start to accumulate and crystallize in various joints. The symptoms of gout and the inflammatory process usually resolve in three to ten days with treatment. If gout symptoms continue despite the initial treatment, or if repeated attacks occur, see your primary care physician for maintenance treatment that may involve daily medication.

Why does my ankle hurt after sleeping?

Fructose is what gives some fruits (and vegetables) their natural sweetness. Researchers report a correlation between foods high in fructose and gout symptoms, which can include chronic pain. These fruits include apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, prunes, and dates.

The uric acid forms crystals that collect in the joints, bringing on a gout attack. If you have many gout attacks, crystals may form large deposits called tophi. Probenecid appears to be less effective than allopurinol and is a second line agent. Probenecid may be used if undersecretion of uric acid is present (24-hour urine uric acid less than 800 mg). It is, however, not recommended if a person has a history of kidney stones. Pegloticase is an option for the 3% of people who are intolerant to other medications.