Gout Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

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Gout

• Gout is a common and complicated form of
  arthritis which could affect anyone. It is caused
  by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the
  joints.
• It is characterized by unexpected, serious
  attacks of pain, inflammation, redness and
  tenderness in the joints, usually the joint at
  the bottom of the big toe.
• An attack of gout could happen unexpectedly,
  usually waking you up in the middle of the night
  with the feeling that your big toe is on fire.
• The damaged joint is hot, inflamed and so tender
  that even the weight of the sheet on it might
  seem intolerable.
• Gout symptoms might come and go, but there are
  ways to manage symptoms and stop flares.

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Gout Symptoms

• The symptoms of gout almost always happen
  unexpectedly, and usually at night. They include
• Intense joint pain - Gout generally affects the
  large joint of your big toe, but it could happen
  in any joint. Other commonly affected joints
  involve the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and
  fingers. The pain is likely to be most serious
  within the first 4 to 12 hours after it starts.
• Lingering discomfort - After the most serious
  pain subsides, some joint discomfort might last
  from a few days to a few weeks. Later attacks are
  likely to last longer and damage more joints.
• Inflammation and redness The damaged joint or
  joints become inflamed, tender, warm and red.
• Restricted range of motion - As gout progresses,
  you might not be able to move your joints
  normally.

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Gout Causes

• The buildup of uric acid in your blood from the
  breakdown of purines causes gout. In some people
  with gout, diet is the cause.
• Certain conditions, such as blood and metabolism
  disorders or dehydration, make your body produce
  too much uric acid.
• A kidney or thyroid problem, or an inherited
  disorder, can make it harder for your body to
  remove excess uric acid.
• You will get gout because of below reasons
• If you are a middle-aged man or postmenopausal
  woman
• If you have parents, siblings, or other family
  members with gout
• If you drink alcohol
• If you take medications such as diuretics and
  cyclosporine
• If you have a condition like high blood pressure,
  kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, or
  sleep apnea

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Gout Diagnosis

• Below are the tests which help to diagnose gout
• Joint fluid test - Your primary care physician
  might use a syringe to draw fluid from your
  affected joint. Urate crystals might be visible
  when the fluid is inspected under a microscope.
• Blood test - Your primary care physician might
  suggest a blood test to measure the levels of
  uric acid and creatinine in your blood. Blood
  test results could be misleading, though. Some
  individuals have elevated levels of uric acid,
  but never experience gout. And some people have
  signs and symptoms of gout, but do not have
  abnormal levels of uric acid in their blood.
• X-ray imaging - Joint X-rays could be helpful to
  rule out other causes of joint swelling.
• Ultrasound - Musculoskeletal ultrasound could
  detect urate crystals in a joint or in a tophus.
  This technology is more widespread in Europe than
  in the United States.
• Dual energy CT scan - This type of imaging could
  discover the presence of urate crystals in a
  joint, even when it is not acutely swollen. This
  test is not used routinely in clinical practice
  due to the spending and is not widely available.

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Gout Treatment

• Treatment for gout generally involves
  medications. What medications you and your
  primary care physician choose will be based on
  your current health and your own preferences.
  Drugs to relieve gout pain include
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) -
  Aspirin (Bufferin), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin),
  and naproxen (Aleve)
• Colchicine (Colcrys, Mitigare)
• Corticosteroids
• Drugs that prevent gout attacks include
• Xanthine oxidase inhibitors - allopurinol
  (Lopurin, Zyloprim) and febuxostat (Uloric)
• Probenecid (Probalan)
• Along with medications, your doctor may recommend
  lifestyle changes to help manage your symptoms
  and reduce your risk of future gout attacks.
• Reduce your alcohol intake
• Lose weight
• Quit smoking

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Risk factors

• You're more likely to develop gout if you have
  high levels of uric acid in your body. Factors
  that increase the uric acid level in your body
  include
• Diet
• Obesity
• Medical conditions
• Certain medications
• Family history of gout
• Age and sex
• Recent surgery or trauma
• Genetics

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Book a Telehealth Appointment

• If you or anyone you know is suffering from gout,
  the expert providers at Specialty Care Live will
  take care of your health and help you recover.
• Call on 469-805-4561 to book a telehealth
  appointment for an at-home check-up.
• For more information visit us at
  http//specialtycarelive.com/