Gout

Content

• Medicines That May Increase Uric Acid
• Top Reads In Health Education
• Arthritis Foundation
• How Do I Know If I Have Gout In My Foot?
• Gout In Hands

If there are uric acid crystals present in the sampled synovial fluid, then you have gout. Unfortunately only 80 per cent of tests are positive when a person really has gout, so this test is not completely accurate. Without the use of fluoroscopy (a special X-ray imaging) or ultrasound to guide the needle, aspiration isn't done. In these situations, the diagnosis is made without joint aspiration on the basis of the patient’s history and when they respond favorably to therapy aimed at treating gout. There are a number of reasons why a person doesn’t excrete enough uric acid through urine. Certain genetic defects and illnesses can hinder uric acid elimination and cause the body to reabsorb too much uric acid.

We can recommend the right type of medication for you to keep on hand in case of sudden attack. Because gout tends to cause spontaneous attacks of pain when you’re least expecting it, it can be hard to predict it and plan your activities accordingly. While our team recommends a comprehensive, long-term treatment plan, there are times you simply need help getting through a painful gout flare-up.

Medicines That May Increase Uric Acid

However, a strict low-purine diet lowers the uric acid level by only a small amount. In past times, when meat and fish were scarce, gout was considered a rich person’s disease. Any kind of damage or trauma to an area may cause a gout pain flare in susceptible people. Shoes that rub the toe can contribute to an attack so it’s best to make sure that the toe area of your shoes is wide enough to accommodate your feet without pinching or rubbing.

Top Reads In Health Education

A medical doctor diagnoses gout by assessing your symptoms and the results of your physical examination, X-rays, and lab tests. Gout can only be diagnosed during a flare when a joint is hot, swollen, and painful and when a lab test finds uric acid crystals in the affected joint. It is possible for a person to have elevated uric acid levels without any outward symptoms. At this stage, treatment is not required, though urate crystals may deposit in tissue and cause slight damage. Gout is a type of arthritis that causes pain in your joints, often in the big toe. This condition is triggered by high levels of uric acid in your blood.

However, for some patients, gout can be a chronic, relapsing problem with multiple severe attacks that occur at short intervals and without complete resolution of inflammation between attacks. This form of gout, called chronic gout, can cause significant joint destruction and deformity and may be confused with other forms of chronic inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis. Frequently, uric acid tophi are present and contribute to bone and cartilage destruction. Tophi can be found around joints, in the olecranon bursa, or at the pinna of the ear. With treatment, tophi can be dissolved and will completely disappear over time. Colchicine (Colcrys®, Mitigare®) has a role in both the prevention and treatment of gout attacks .

Limit Foods With High Purine Levels

However, many people with higher uric acid levels never get gout. If a person drinks alcohol, it is possible that they may suffer a gout attack within a few days, due to increased uric acid and dehydration in their body. The attacks tend to develop suddenly and without warning, and the symptoms of a gout flare are hard to miss. When gout occurs, the symptoms can last days or even weeks, and alcohol use only worsens the gout symptoms. Gout does not flare up and cause pain all the time but will occur only occasionally, and months or years can pass between attacks.

As mentioned above, this joint is most commonly the MTP joint at the base of your big toe. The affected joint becomes swollen, warm, and red within eight to 12 hours. Most of the time the attacks occur at night and last 3-10 days.

But first, let’s cover some general information about gout. Your doctor may use blood tests to check the levels of uric acid and creatinine in your blood. If gout is not treated, the inflammation can cause damage to joints and tendons. Crystal deposits on tendons can cause the skin to wear down, which can lead to infection.

What Are The Treatments For Gout?

Other symptoms may rarely occur along with the joint pain, including fatigue and a high fever. Treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , glucocorticoids, or colchicine improves symptoms. Once the acute attack subsides, levels of uric acid can be lowered via lifestyle changes and in those with frequent attacks, allopurinol or probenecid provides long-term prevention. Taking vitamin C and eating a diet high in low-fat dairy products may be preventive. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intensity in less than 12 hours. The joint at the base of the big toe is affected in about half of cases.

This normal byproduct goes through the kidneys and exits the body when you pee. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. With treatment, a gout flare usually clears up within a few days, says Dr. Saag. If you don’t treat it, you could be dealing with it for a week to two weeks. It is intended for general informational purposes and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.