Gout Treatment & Symptoms Podiatrist Near Me

Content

• What You Need To Know About Arthritis And The Weatherread Now
• Swelling And Stiffness
• Genetics, Not Diet, Is Likely Cause Of Gout
• Chronic Gout Signs And Symptoms

Flare-ups can occur suddenly, and they often happen at night. Patients with gout often describe the pain as stabbing, needle-like pain that radiates from the affected joint. People with a diagnosis of gout tend to go weeks, months without any symptoms.

What You Need To Know About Arthritis And The Weatherread Now

The acute gout attacks are painful and potentially disabling, needing immediate treatment. The optimal therapy is towards controlling pain and inflammation Drug therapy for gout has become an important part of the therapeutic approach to the disease, which includes lifestyle modifications. Current standards for first-line treatment for acute attacks include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , colchicine and corticosteroids.

They may cause you to have more gout episodes when you first start taking them, so you may have to take colchicine or an NSAID at the same time for the first three to six months to prevent such attacks. If you must take them, however, you'll probably have to do so for the rest of your life in order to prevent future problems. Gout is due to persistently elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. This occurs from a combination of diet, other health problems, and genetic factors. At high levels, uric acid crystallizes and the crystals deposit in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues, resulting in an attack of gout.

Swelling And Stiffness

But gout is still very much with us, and the number of Americans affected seems to be increasing, at least partly because of the obesity epidemic. Gout remains a disease that mainly affects middle-aged and older men, although postmenopausal women are vulnerable too, perhaps because they lack the protective effect of estrogen. The diuretics ("water pills") that many people take to control high blood pressure are another contributing factor. There are several reasons for this but medications, such as cyclosporine, taken to reduce the chances of organ rejection and reduced kidney function are major contributors.

It's important to see your doctor even if the pain from gout has stopped. The uric acid buildup that caused your gout attack may still be irritating your joints. Your doctor can prescribe medicines that can prevent and even reverse the uric acid buildup. In the first stage, you have high uric acid levels in your blood, but no symptoms. The uric acid levels may stay the same, and you may never have symptoms.

Low doses of colchicine or anti-inflammatory medications may be used for an acute attack. Follow up with a doctor after the acute attack has resolved to determine if it is necessary to start medications to lower the blood uric acid level. Anyone who has a sudden onset of a hot, red, swollen joint should seek medical care, either with a primary care physician, at an emergency department, or with a rheumatologist . These symptoms can also be due to an infection, loss of cartilage in the joint, or other reasons. It is important to make an accurate diagnosis of gouty arthritis for optimal treatment.

This information is provided for general education only. Individuals should consult a qualified health care provider for professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment of a medical or health condition. This condition and its complications occur more often in men, women after menopause, and people with kidney disease. Gout is strongly linked to obesity, hypertension , hyperlipidemia and diabetes. Because of genetic factors, gout tends to run in some families.

Crystal deposits on tendons can cause the skin to wear down, which can lead to infection. In addition, tendons can tear, which can lead to loss of function. There are medicines, splints, and compression modalities to help swelling and lessen the gout pain. If your gouthas worn out the joints, or if tendons have been hurt, surgery may be needed. When the gout episodes are infrequent, an NSAID or colchicine can be used as needed. For more frequent gout episodes, other medications can be given that are managed by your primary care doctor or a rheumatologist.

This drug is for patients who do not respond to other treatments or cannot tolerate them. New drugs to lower uric acid levels and to treat gout inflammation are under development. Health care providers may prescribe a short treatment course of anakinra , a biologic drug, though this medication is not FDA-approved for the treatment of gout.

What can you not eat when you have gout?

Foods to Avoid if You Have GoutBeer and grain liquors (like vodka and whiskey)
Red meat, lamb, and pork.
Organ meats, such as liver, kidneys, and glandular meats like the thymus or pancreas (you may hear them called sweetbreads)
Seafood, especially shellfish like shrimp, lobster, mussels, anchovies, and sardines.

The pain becomes progressively worse and is often excruciating, particularly when the joint is moved or touched. If uric acid levels remain high over a long period of time, deposits can develop around joints and tendons. These chalky deposits, called tophi, look like white toothpaste and create visible lumps under the skin. After the first gout attack it may be months or years before another one occurs. People who are not taking preventive treatment, however, typically have the next attack within 2 years. Later attacks can become more severe and affect more than one joint at a time.

Red meat, fructose-containing beverages, and alcohol can increase the risk. Doctors can also do a blood test to measure the levels of uric acid in the blood, but, as mentioned, people with high uric acid levels do not always experience gout. Equally, some people can develop the symptoms of gout without having increased levels of uric acid in the blood.

How painful is gout on a scale?

The pain during a gout flare is so excruciating that many visit the emergency room for care. On a typical pain scale, most people with gout will rank their pain as a nine or a 10 – with even the slightest touch causing agony.