What Is Gout? Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Medication, Diet, Remedies

Content

• The Pain And Swelling Of Gout Can Be Easily Treated
• Interval Gout
• When To Contact A Doctor
• Stage 1: Asymptomatic Gout
• Updates On Arthritis And Rheumatic Diseases You Need To Stay Informed About Your Health
• How To Prevent The Next Gout Attack

By 6 months, the primary endpoint—a serum uric acid level of less than 6.0 mg/dL—was achieved in 45% of subjects on febuxostat 40 mg/day, 67% on febuxostat 80 mg/day, and 42% on allopurinol. In subjects with renal impairment, the primary endpoint was achieved in 50% of subjects on febuxostat 40 mg/day, 72% on febuxostat 80 mg/day, and 42% on allopurinol. Adverse event rates were low and similar in all groups. A drug called Uloric reduces the uric acid buildup that causes painful crystals to form in the first place.

This is important because other medical conditions and diseases, such as pseudogout and infection, can have symptoms similar to gout. Identifying uric acid, which causes gout attacks, can lead to the diagnosis of gouty arthritis. A tophus is a hard nodule of uric acid that deposits under the skin. Tophi can be found in various locations in the body, commonly on the elbows, upper ear cartilage, and on the surface of other joints. When a tophus is present, it indicates that the body is substantially overloaded with uric acid.

The Pain And Swelling Of Gout Can Be Easily Treated

Because Krystexxa® is given intravenously, it would be expected that the great majority of its use would be by rheumatologists rather than by internists or primary care physicians. Unlike allopurinol, which interacts with warfarin (Coumadin®), febuxostat did not have this interaction when studied. Febuxostat is approved by the FDA to start at 40mg daily, and if the uric acid has not reached goal (less than 6.0mg/dL) after two weeks of treatment the dose can be increased to 80mg daily. The 80mg dose of febuxostat brought more patients to less than 6mg/dL of uric acid than 300mg of allopurinol, the dose of allopurinol most commonly used. Rheumatologists often adjust allopurinol doses higher than 300mg when needed to reach uric acid goal, although the literature on higher doses of allopurinol is limited.

If you’re overweight, you are likely to have higher-than-normal uric acid levels, a primary risk factor for developing gout. That’s why weight loss is an important part of a gout diet. This stage occurs when the urate crystals that have been deposited suddenly cause acute inflammation and intense pain. This sudden attack is referred to as a “flare” and will normally subside within 3 to 10 days. Flares can sometimes be triggered by stressful events, alcohol and drugs, as well as cold weather.

Interval Gout

Since deposits of uric acid are the primary factor of gout, decreasing uric acid in the body is highly effective in controlling gout attacks symptoms. Prescriptions, such as allopurinol, colchicine, and febuxostat, are also available to help control the levels of uric acid in the blood. Over time, increased uric acid levels in the blood may lead to deposits of urate crystals in and around the joints.

Who gets gout the most?

Gout is more common in men than in women and more prevalent in African-American men than white men. The chances of having gout rises with age, with a peak age of 75. In women, gout attacks usually occur after menopause.

In fact, gout is one of the most painful forms of arthritis. Here, Everakes sets the record straight with regard to gout, a condition that affects 6.1 million adults in America. Most people who have gout will need to be on a uric-acid-lowering drug for life, usually just one or two pills a day, says George Washington University's Baraf. Eicosapentaenoic acid is known to reduce chronic inflammation.

Making changes to your diet and lifestyle, such as losing weight, limiting alcohol, eating less purine-rich food , may help prevent future attacks. Changing or stopping medications associated with hyperuricemia may also help. A medical doctor diagnoses gout by assessing your symptoms and the results of your physical examination, X-rays, and lab tests.

Among foods richest in purines yielding high amounts of uric acid are dried anchovies, shrimp, organ meat, dried mushrooms, seaweed, and beer yeast. Gout affects about 1 to 2% of the Western population at some point in their lives. This is believed to be due to increasing risk factors in the population, such as metabolic syndrome, longer life expectancy, and changes in diet. Gout was historically known as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease".

It was approved in the United States for use together with allopurinol, among those who were unable to reach their uric acid level targets. Side effects include kidney problems and kidney stones. If these medications are in chronic use at the time of an attack, it is recommended that they be continued.

Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive or operate machinery. Allopurinol reduces the amount of uric acid in your blood and urine by slowing the rate at which the body makes uric acid. It is the best medicine for people who have kidney problems or kidney stones caused by uric acid.

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. Another possible consequence of gout is the development of chalky nodules called tophi, which form from uric acid deposits in soft tissue. They usually build up over several years, and are especially common in the elbows, the Achilles tendons, the toe and finger joints, and the ear. If untreated, about 30 out of 100 people with acute gout develop tophi within five years. The tophi may disappear again over time if uric acid levels are lowered by treatment. The majority of gout cases are treated with medication.

Gout attacks most often come on at night and may wake you from your sleep. Continued pain can also keep you from falling back to sleep. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

When a gout episode begins, call your doctor and begin taking your medication. Your doctor may suggest that you keep a supply of medication on hand to take at the first sign of trouble. You may go to bed feeling fine but then wake up in the middle of the night with extreme joint pain. Gout once was mistakenly thought to be a disease of the wealthy because it seemed to be caused by eating rich foods and by drinking too much alcohol. Although diet and excessive drinking do have something to do with gout, they are not the main cause of the disorder.

How To Prevent The Next Gout Attack

Since uric acid is filtered through the kidneys, the two diseases are related. Talk to your doctor about ways to prevent gout attacks during your sleep. According to the National Kidney Foundation, many people with gout also have chronic kidney disease . Get physically active.Experts recommend that adults engage in 150 minutes per week of at least moderate physical activity.