What is gout?
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.
Who gets gout?
Gout affects an estimated 2.1 million Americans. Men in their 40s and 50s are most likely to develop gout. But by age 60, gout affects men and women roughly equally. After age 80 more women than men have gout.
High uric acid levels (hyperuricemia), which can lead to gout, occur for one of two reasons: the body produces too much uric acid or the body is not efficient at excreting uric acid in the urine. For more than 90 percent of people with gout, the cause is the latter. There are certain inborn errors of metabolism that can cause hyperuricemia, but these genetic disorders account for a very small fraction of people with gout.
Diagnosing and treating gout
Because the joint inflammation of gout can resemble that of a joint infection or other form of arthritis, diagnosing gout requires removing a small amount of fluid with a syringe from the joint and examining it under a microscope for uric acid crystals.
When a diagnosis is made, your doctor can recommend a gout treatment plan to stop acute attacks, rapidly relieve pain and inflammation, avert future attacks and prevent the development of tophi, kidney stones and kidney disease.
Gout treatment will likely involve anti-inflammatory medications – such as corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and colchicine – to relieve acute pain and inflammation as well as urate-lowering drugs – such as allopurinol (Aloprim, Zyloprim) or probenecid (Benemid, Probalan) – to control urate levels and prevent future attacks.
Other gout treatment strategies include:
* Avoiding foods high in purines, such as organ meats, anchovies, shellfish, bacon and gravies, and increasing intake of dairy foods
* Avoiding alcohol, which increases the production of urate and impairs excretion
* Losing weight to reduce blood urate levels
* Avoiding medications that contribute to hyperuricemia, including diuretics
With appropriate treatment, gout is one of the most controllable forms of arthritis.
ok now I bored every one yawn have a good night.Barbara
I have gout too--the episodes are not fun and I feel badly for your husband. I take medication daily, but I have also found that drinking plenty of water (I drink one GALLON of water daily) helps my body do alot of "flushing." This helps rid the body of the excess uric acid. Also, TART cherries have helped me when I feel an episode coming on. You can find TART cherries at the grocery store--these are different from cherry pie filling that contains heavy syrup. I recommend that your husband gives up alcohol if he drinks, too.
Good luck
My gout has been caused by trauma.i.e. I broke my big tot 10 years ago. My uruc acid levels are normal. So what treatment do I need?
e
Eating several cherries daily will help with uric acid buildup. Try to eat as much organic food as possible.
People, this gout and other health issues is mainly caused by the food we're eating! My brother-in-law proved it to me. He had gout, heart problems, took blood pressure pills, couldn't breath very good. So about two years ago he deceided to go with organic food as much as he could. He has lost about 40 lbs, does not have gout attacks and no longer has to take blood pressure pills, not bad for a man in his sixties.
Kind regards
Joel
Here are some of my early symptoms that I have noticed:
Soreness on the pads of your feet, the soft part where your toes connect with your foot.
Soreness on the tops of the toes, the knuckles.
Bruising on the ankles on the insides of my feet.
General aches and pains in the ankles, feet and knees.
I didn't see these as symptoms of Gout, it frankly never crossed my mind even though my Father suffered horribly for this.
I at first attributed this to my running five miles a day and playing raquetball with my mostly flat feet. Two of my sprains while running did turn into minor gout attacks.
My first attack woke me up at 4am with my toe next to my big toe swollen and red and the whole foot also swollen. It took them two weeks to figure it out. In the end after some colchine pills, 2 real quick then 1 every two hours till I lost my stomach contents, then some indomethacin for awhile until I was put on allopurinol and now I'm semi ok, the bruising is still there and a little ache but its better. I have had 5 attacks that were fairly painful and a bunch of minor ones. But now holding steady.
I cut back on the red meat, eat mostly chicken and beans. I can eat red meat a couple times a week and it doesn't seem to bother me much. I get a bad ache when I eat too much ham around Christmas.
I also drink alot of water and very little alcohol. The water helps me alot it seems by flushing out the acid.
I have a friend who just looks at pork and he swells up, he cannot expell the acid as well as I can.
My wife was just told her acid is a little high, I hope she never has an attack. I had my stomach cut open for appendix surgery, gutted me belly button to just below my waistband, that pain was nothing compared to gout.
i'm new here in your site, just today. i just saw one of your magazine at booksale here in the philippines. i'm very interested about gout because i'm suffering with this kind of joint pain in my right big toe where bigger than before,ankle, and knee. during attack i'm taking colchicine. this is curable and will back to normal? thanks and more patient will benefited to your foundation. God bless you all.
Today I went into the doctor for my foot. The right side of my right foot has been in severe pain. I found out it was gout. Im wondering now too if my knee hurts because of gout as well. Im relieved that I can get something to take care of it. My friend also swears by cherry pie lol. she says that whenever her dad has a flare up of gout that he eats cherry pie. Its not proven lol just a suggestion. Havent tried it myself. Hoping everyone find relief!
large knoby, swollen, red and hot
I cant believe how much this hurts.
I've broken Legs, arms, ribs all nothing compared to my big toe.
Even a bed sheet hurts
I remember laughing at my friends Dad as he limped around with gout from power drinking beer, i shouldnt have laughed i guess.
Theres worse things but they dont hurt as much as Gout.
Trude on everyone.
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