Gout Symptoms

If you’ve ever experienced gout and suffered with gout symptoms, you know how painful this condition can be. Some people describe the pain as being so intense that even the weight of a bed sheet lying on the affected part is excruciatingly painful. The usual symptoms of gout are severe pain, redness and swelling in the affected joint. The joint most commonly afflicted is the big toe, but gout can occur in the ankle, feet wrist, knees and even fingers. Gout symptoms may disappear on their own within a week or two, with or without any treatment. Gout is usually the result of a high level of uric acid in the blood, although large numbers of people who have elevated uric acid levels will never develop gout at all. High levels of uric acid can lead to the formation of urate crystals that are deposited in the body’s tissues. When these crystals form around a joint it can cause inflammation, resulting in pain and swelling. Uric acid is a by-product of the breakdown of purines. There are many foods that are high in purines including beer, spinach, mushrooms, and organ meats like liver and kidneys. Your body’s inability to deal with purines can lead to a high uric acid level. Males are much more likely to develop gout than females. Those who are overweight or obese are also more likely to experience gout. Dieting has been shown to increase the likelihood of gout attacks, especially if a large amount of weight is lost rapidly. Gout can appear very quickly, with most attacks occurring overnight. The affected joint can be shiny and swollen, and is usually warm or sometimes hot to the touch. Walking may prove difficult and very painful. Gout is a form of arthritis and is considered a chronic disease, meaning if you have an attack of gout you are likely to experience another one at some point in time. There is also some evidence that points to the fact that gout may be hereditary. If left untreated, enough attacks of gout can actually lead to perment joint damage . If you experience any gout symptoms, consult your doctor as soon as possible so you can develop a plan to deal with the pain and try to prevent any further attacks. Find out more about gout. Hot Water Cooler Tags: gout, gout attacks, gout symptoms This entry was posted on Sunday, October 2nd, 2011 at 9:05 am and is filed under Arthritis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.