What Is Gout

Content

• Gout 'more Than Doubles' Risk Of Kidney Failure
• Uric Acid Excretion
• Urgent Ortho Care
• Lowering Blood Levels Of Uric Acid

In a clear-cut case, a primary care physician can make the diagnosis of gout with a high level of confidence. However, often there are two or more possible causes for an inflamed toe or other joint, which mimics some of the symptoms of gout, so tests to identify the presence of uric acid is performed. Uric acid crystals can be thought of like matches, which can sit quietly or can be ignited. Crystals can be present for years in the cartilage, or even in the joint fluid, without causing inflammation. Then, at some point, due to increasing number of crystals or other inciting factor, the matches are “struck” and the inflammation begins. Although alcohol can bring on gout attacks, genetics are much more important than alcohol in defining who gets gout, and many who never drink alcohol suffer from gout.

The self-management strategies described below are proven to reduce pain and disability, so you can pursue the activities important to you. Treatment for flares consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, steroids, and the anti-inflammatory drug colchicine. Hyperuricemia happens if there's too much uric acid in your blood. Learn why it occurs, what the symptoms are, and how to treat it.

Gout 'more Than Doubles' Risk Of Kidney Failure

Uric acid is made when your body breaks down chemicals called purines. Gout is generally more severe in people whose initial symptoms appear before age 30. Metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease probably contribute to premature death in people with gout. Doctors may also do ultrasonography or a special CT scan to check for uric acid deposits. If you get a skin rash while taking allopurinol or febuxostat, call your health care professional right away.

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. Certain diseases and conditions increase your risk of gout.

Uric Acid Excretion

Elevated uric acid levels may produce kidney problems, or none at all. People may live many years with elevated uric acid levels, and they do not develop gout or gouty arthritis (arthritis means "joint inflammation"). Only about 20% of people with elevated uric acid levels ever develop gout, and some people with gout do not have significantly elevated uric acid levels in their blood. Our study highlights a major and profound impact of gout on patients’ QOL. Several aspects of impact of gout on patients’ lives have not been previously reported, including the effect of gout on sexual function, sleep, hobbies, employability, relationships etc.

Can gout be caused by stress?

Stress may trigger a gout attack, and it can exacerbate symptoms of a gout attack. While it's impossible to completely eliminate all of your stress, there are a number of ways to help minimize it. If you're experiencing a gout attack, reducing your stress can also help you focus on things other than the pain.

Untreated gout may cause deposits of urate crystals to form under the skin in nodules called tophi (TOE-fie). Tophi can develop in several areas, such as your fingers, hands, feet, elbows or Achilles tendons along the backs of your ankles. Tophi usually aren't painful, but they can become swollen and tender during gout attacks. The goals of treatment are to reduce inflammation and the pain by controlling uric acid levels.

In people with gout, the first episode of inflammation usually affects the big toe or other joints in the foot or ankle. If urate levels remain high, flares can recur, affecting additional joints throughout the body. The time between flares varies among affected individuals; however, most people who experience multiple flares have their second one within a year of their first.

If production of uric acid increases, a person eats a large quantity of foods high in purines, or if the kidneys are unable to adequately eliminate uric acid, then concentrations in the blood can rise . When the crystals accumulate in the joints, they can cause the pain associated with gout. New research reported by the American Heart Association reveals that gout, a type of inflammatory arthritis, is now believed to be a bigger indicator of possible heart disease than previously thought.

It is more common in adults, usually occurring in men over the age of 30 and in women after menopause. People with a family history of gout or who are obese or who have hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease are at increased risk of developing gout. Gout has also been associated with metabolic syndrome, a term often used to describe a cluster of these symptoms. Drugs such as cyclosporine, thiazide diuretics , and salicylates can interfere with uric acid excretion as can excessive consumption of alcohol.

What Have Researchers Found About Medicines To Treat A Gout Attack?

It is often linked with obesity, high blood pressure, high levels of lipids in the blood , and diabetes. Gout can present in several ways, although the most common is a recurrent attack of acute inflammatory arthritis . The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is affected most often, accounting for half of cases.

Nongenetic factors are also believed to play a role in gout, primarily by triggering flares. These factors also often increase urate levels in the body. 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.