Gout is considered a form of arthritis, since sufferers primarily experience excruciating pain in the joints, most often the joints of the big toe and foot. The formation of gout is directly linked to an overabundance of uric acid in the bloodstream. As uric acid levels rise, crystals form and collect in the base joint of the sufferer’s big toe. These crystals of uric acid are painful enough, especially when they become lodged deep in the joint. Adding to the misery of gout is a secondary skin inflammation, with increased sensitivity, redness and swelling.
Gout generally appears in the form of short attacks, sometimes lasting for several days or weeks. Much like those with kidney stones, gout
Gout develops when too much uric acid builds up in your body. Sharp needle-like urate crystals form around your joints beginning in your big toe. Gout does not happen overnight. It is the result of a build-up process that may take months or years. When it reaches a critical level, you get a painful gout attack.
sufferers can be symptom-free for several years between attacks. Uric acid crystals are also responsible for one form of kidney stones. Gout can become chronic over time, which means the sufferer must take daily medications in order to prevent the onset of major symptoms and extreme pain.
The word gout comes from Latin gutta and old French gote meaning “a drop”. Several hundred years ago gout was thought to be caused by drops of viscous humors that seeped from blood into the joints. In fact, this supposition was not that far from the truth. When a patient experiences the symptoms of a gout attack uric acid has been accumulating in his blood, and uric acid deposits have been forming in the joints.
Gout is usually treated through dietary changes and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). During a gout attack, physicians may inject prescription NSAIDs directly into the affected joint, along with a drug designed specifically to reduce the size of uric acid crystals. The use of aspirin for pain relief from gout is strongly discouraged. An over-the-counter NSAID such as Ibuprofen may take the edge off the pain, but will not mask it completely.
Gout is a complex disorder, it is more prevalent among men, and afflicts women more commonly after the menopause. Men have higher uric acid levels in their blood than women.
Once called the “disease of kings,” gout has long been associated with portly men – especially those who could afford to overindulge in rich foods and alcohol. But, in truth, gout can be a royal pain for both men and women, regardless of wealth or body size.
Gout occurs when excess uric acid, a bodily waste product circulating in the bloodstream, is deposited as needle-shaped monosodium urate crystals in tissues of the body, including the joints. For many people, the first symptom of gout is excruciating pain and swelling in the big toe – often following a trauma, such as an illness or injury. Subsequent attacks may occur off and on in other joints, primarily those of the foot and knee, before becoming chronic. In its chronic stage, gout can affect many joints, including those of the hands. Other problems related to gout can include the formation of tophi, or lumps of crystals under the skin, in the joints and in bone; kidney stones; and impaired kidney function.
Ordinarily, the body can metabolize uric acid and send the excess through the urinary tract for elimination. For some reason, people prone to gout cannot fully process purine-rich foods, leading to the formation of crystals and a full-blown attack. Dietary treatments for the prevention of gout include restrictions on purine-rich foods and the addition of dark red berries, blueberries and celery extracts.
