Gout is characterized by excruciating, sudden, unexpected, burning pain, as well as swelling, redness, warmth, and stiffness in the affected joint. This occurs commonly in men in their toes but can appear in other parts of the body and affects women too. Low-grade fever may also be present. The patient usually suffers from two sources of pain. The crystals inside the joint cause intense pain whenever the affected area is moved. The inflammation of the tissues around the joint also causes the skin to be swollen, tender and sore if it is even slightly touched.
The first symptom of gouty arthritis is typically the sudden onset of a hot, red, swollen joint. The most common joint involved is at the base of the big toe, but almost any joint can be involved. In some people, the acute pain is so intense that even a bed sheet on the toe causes severe pain. Acute gouty arthritis at the base of the big toe is referred to as podagra.
To stop a gout attack quickly, your doctor can prescribe a large daily dose of one or more medicines. The doses will get smaller as your symptoms go away. Relief from a gout attack often begins within 24 hours if you start treatment right away.
To prevent future attacks, your doctor can prescribe a medicine to reduce uric acid buildup in your blood.
Gout is one of the forms of arthritis most affected by diet. Take our quiz about gout and diet and test your knowledge and see if you know what foods to eat and what foods to avoid if you have gout.
Joint pain frequently starts during the night and is often described as throbbing, crushing, or excruciating. The affected joints show signs of warmth, redness, and tenderness. The pain tends to go away within several days. Chronic gout attacks, however, occur more often.
If several attacks of gout occur each year, it can lead to joint deformity and limited motion in joints. Uric acid deposits called tophi develop in cartilage tissue, tendons, and soft tissues. These tophi usually develop only after a patient has suffered from the disease for many years. Deposits also can occur in the kidneys, leading to chronic kidney failure.
The pain often goes away within 12 hours of starting treatment, and is completely relieved in 48 hours. Daily use of colchicine or allopurinol helps prevent future attacks.
Your doctor may also recommend that you take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as soon as symptoms start to relieve pain and inflammation. Strong painkillers such as codeine may occasionally be prescribed.
Gouty arthritis is usually an extremely painful attack with a rapid onset of joint inflammation. The joint inflammation is precipitated by deposits of uric acid crystals in the joint fluid (synovial fluid) and joint lining (synovial lining). Intense joint inflammation occurs as white blood cells engulf the uric acid crystals and release chemicals of inflammation, causing pain, heat, and redness of the joint tissues.
An attack that is usually extremely painful of joint inflammation due to deposits of uric acid crystals in the joint fluid (synovial fluid) and joint lining (synovial lining). Intense joint inflammation occurs as white blood cells engulf the uric acid crystals, causing pain, heat, and redness of the joint tissues.
The sufferer should not eat foods that increase the uric acid content of the blood. Thus alcohol should be avoided and food should be simple, plainly cooked, and unseasoned. Liver, heart, and kidneys should be excluded from the diet and red meat eaten in moderation. Bland fluids should be drunk in quantity.
