Gout

Overview

Gout, also known as gouty arthritis, is the painful inflammation of the joints. The disorder occurs when the body overproduces uric acid and the crystals precipitate in the fluid and the lining of the joints, causing them to swell painfully. In people with hyperuricemia, who are prone to gout, the elevated level of uric acid causes other problems such as kidney stones, blockages in the tubes leading from the kidneys and even kidney failure.

Types

Gout is usually either acute, with a sudden attack, or a chronic condition that worsens over time.

Symptoms

The initial symptom of gout is pain in the joint of the big toe, but it may also affect the joints such as knees, wrists, ankles, fingers and elbows. The pain onset is sudden and intense, with swelling, heat and redness at the site of the pain. A rash and a low-grade fever may be accompanied with the disorder. The affected area becomes very tender and even a mild touch is excruciating. The affected area becomes immovable as the crystals inside the joint cause intense pain whenever the patient tries to move about. Attacks of gout can last an hour or two or even several days and will reoccur throughout a gout sufferer's lifetime.

Causes/Risk Factors

Some of the factors that increase the risk of gout are obesity, high blood pressure, drinking alcohol, sudden weight gain and kidney problems. Medications that elevate uric acid levels in the blood (aspirin is one of them) can trigger gout. Some other diseases such as leukemia, lymphomas and blood disorders raising the levels of uric acid can also be the causes. A low amount of thyroid hormone in the blood is also linked to the disease.

Not all the patients suffering from hyperuricemia get affected by gout and gout doesn't mean the person has chronic hyperuricemia. The causes of gout are not yet clear. However, the ratio of the disease in men and women is nine is to one.

Tests/Diagnosis

Pain at the base of the toes that reoccurs is the first factor in diagnosing gout. It is rare that more than one joint becomes painful at a time, so if an ankle or knee is affected during a gout attack, the other joints may remain unaffected.

Sometimes the doctor will confirm that the pain is caused due to gout without performing tests. But, there may be other reasons also. So, confirm the presence of gout with a joint aspiration test, where some of the joint fluid is drawn out and tested for the presence of uric acid crystals, which indicates gout. X-rays can also help in diagnosing severe and chronic gout by showing the lumps of crystals that have accumulated around a joint.

Treatment

Shedding extra weight and regular exercising are quite effective in lessening gout attacks. Pain relievers are prescribed to ease the pain of an acute attack and anti-inflammatory drugs are given to lessen the swelling. Other drugs to lower the amount of uric acid in the blood are prescribed to be taken regularly after an acute attack has subsided.