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

Content

• Points To Remember About Gout
• Acute Attack Pain Management
• What Is The Prognosis For Gout?
• Treating A Podagra Attack

When too much uric acid accumulates in the body, it collects into needle-shaped crystal deposits that settle into the joints , causing bursts of pain, redness, and swelling. Attacks tend to occur at night and subside after three to 10 days, even without medication. Flare-ups can also reoccur a few months or years later, and, left untreated, gout can cause permanent damage to the joints and the kidneys, which remove uric acid from the body. Dietary changes can help reduce uric acid levels in the blood. Since purine chemicals are converted by the body into uric acid, purine-rich foods should be avoided.

How can you tell the difference between gout and arthritis?

Both cause pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints that can limit your range of motion. However, the cause differs. RA is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's own immune system attacks the joints, whereas the pain of gout is due to elevated levels of uric acid in the blood.

A gout attack usually starts during the night with moderate pain that grows worse. A gout attack typically causes pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in a single joint, most often the big toe. Local injection of crystalline preparations of corticosteroid can be an excellent option if a person has a single joint gout attack. Formulations injected include methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol®), triamcinolone (Aristospan®), and betamethasone (Celestone®). Of these preparations, betamethasone lasts the shortest time in the joint of these preparations, but gout tends to be self-limited within a few weeks, in any case, so this option can be quite successful. 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.

Points To Remember About Gout

Over time, they can harm joints, tendons, and other tissues. Another class of drugs called uricosurics help your kidneys remove uric acid from the body. An infused drug called pegloticase can help the body eliminate uric acid in people whose gout hasn’t been well controlled with other medication. New medications, including a biologic currently FDA-approved for rheumatoid arthritis, are on the horizon for gout treatment as well.

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. It may also result in tophi, kidney stones, or kidney damage. It is important to understand that these maintenance medications are used to lower the uric acid well below normal to prevent recurrent gouty arthritis attacks. Generally, doctors want the blood uric acid level to be below 6.0 mg/dL.

Acute Attack Pain Management

Progressive crippling and destruction of cartilage and bone is possible. A diet that avoids foods high in purine, high-fructose drinks, and alcohol can lessen your long-term risks. If you use medicines like diuretics, stopping that use can help prevent gout as well.

The target goal for uric acid treatment is to achieve a level less than 6.0 mg/dL. Chronic injury to intra-articular cartilage leaves the joints more susceptible to subsequent joint infections. Untreated chronic tophaceous gout can lead to severe joint destruction and, rarely, renal impairment. Deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the kidney can result in inflammation and fibrosis, leading to reduced renal function or chronic nephropathy.

Despite this x-rays may be done as they can help monitor the disease process and they may be needed to rule out other problems. To increase your strength, try doing some low-impact exercises such as Pilates, tai chi, or yoga. Do not forget to stretch and warm up before you start exercising.

The most common bacteria culprit is Staphylococcus aureus, with the infection commonly known as staph infection. The knee is most often implicated with septic arthritis, making up about 50% of cases. The wrists, ankles, and hips are also commonly affected. Septic arthritis is most common in individuals who have prior joint damage, such as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have either condition, talk to your doctor about preventing the other. If you have one of these medicines but have not been taking it, do not start taking the medicine during an attack. Starting these medicines while you are having a gout attack can make your attack much worse.

How Is Gout Diagnosed?

To combat this, don't stop taking your medication without first checking with your doctor. Getting rid of the old crystals can help protect the joint from further damage. As with all medications, you should report any side effects to your doctor right away. Watch for skin rashes, itching, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or other new symptoms not present before taking the serum uric acid medications. Your doctor may recommend Pegloticase when other medications fail to reduce uric acid. This means that you likely have a condition known as refractory chronic gout.

If the blood uric acid is high but a person has never had an attack of gout, treatment is rarely needed. But people with extremely elevated levels may need regular testing for signs of kidney damage. And they may need long-term treatment to lower their uric acid levels. Your blood uric acid level may be watched by your doctor until it is lowered to normal levels. The prevalence of gout in the U.S. has risen over the last twenty years and now affects 8.3 million (4%) Americans. Gout is more common in men than in women and more prevalent in African-American men than white men.

Are eggs bad for gout?

Eggs are a good protein source for people with gout, because eggs are naturally low in purines.