What is gout?

Gout is a kind of arthritis (inflammation of the joint) that affect more than half a million Americans each year, it symptoms may include pain, swelling, redness, warmth, and limitation of movement and is most common in men than women. It can cause an attack of sudden burning pain, stiffness, and swelling in a joint, usually a big toe. These attacks can happen over and over unless gout is treated. Over time, they can harm your joints, tendons, and other tissues. There are over 100 types of arthritis. Three common types are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout.

What causes gout?
Gout is caused by too much uric acid (waste product that is eliminated by the kidneys in the form of urine) by either production of too much uric acid by the body or when the kidney cannot eliminate uric acid properly. Only a small percent of population with high uric acid develop gout, meaning that if you have high levels of uric acid in your blood does not mean that you will have gout. Usually your chances of getting gout are higher if you are overweight, drink too much alcohol, or eat too much protein such as meat and fish which are high in chemicals called purines. Even some medicines, such as water pills (diuretics), can also bring on gout.

What are the symptoms?
The most common sign of gout is a sharp pain, swelling, tenderness, redness, warmth due to the deposition of uric acid crystals in the tissues of the body: under the skin, in the joints, and in the kidneys. Joints that are typically affected by gout are:
- ankle
- heel
- knee
- wrist
- elbow
- fingers
- spine
Gout attacks can last a few days or many weeks before the pain goes away. Frequent uric acid buildup can harm you joints.

How can you diagnose gout?
The best way to test for gout is to take a sample of the fluid from your joint and search for uric acid crystals or a blood sample to test for the amount of uric acid in your blood.

How can I be treated for gout?
- By relieving the pain with ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory medicine.
- By preventing future attacks with the help of your doctor which can prescribe medication to reduce uric acid buildup in your blood or medicine that will lower your uric acid levels.
- By monitoring what you eat by avoiding food that is rich in purines, such as meat, organ meats (brain, liver and kidney), poultry, seafood, tofu, dry beans, peas and alcohol (interferes with the body’s ability to get rid of extra uric acid causing higher levels of it in the blood stream) in your daily diet. Drink plenty of liquids, especially water and avoid diuretics.

If not treated properly, gout can cause painful attacks, disability and kidney stones. Therefore, change your diet and take the prescribed medication to prevent gout