Gout is a disease that is characterized by high levels of uric acid in the bloodstream in the form of crystals of monosodium urate (MSU) or uric acid and deposited on the cartilage of the joints, tendons and the surrounding tissues. As the uric acid crystallizes or hardens an attack is very painful and could further lead on to chronic gouty arthritis if not treated promptly.

Gout is derived from the Latin word “gutta”, meaning “a drop” of (liquid) that originated from the Roman gladiatorial surgeon Galen, described as a discharge of the four humors or body fluids of the human body: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm; in the past, it was also known as “The Disease of Kings” or “Rich Man’s Disease”. The condition is more predominant in men rather than in women – with men taking up 95% and the women the remaining 5%.

Gout usually occurs at the big toe and is characterized by a sudden and unexpected burning sensation and is accompanied with swelling, redness, stiffness, a feeling of warmth and that is very painful. It can also appear in other parts of the body – usually where joints are located such as the ankle, heel, instep, knee, fingers, wrist, elbow, and the spine. As the area of the skin becomes tender, sore, and swollen, excruciating pain can be felt when the affected area is touched even slightly or moved just a little. In other cases, Gout can happen to a person who has had a history of injury on the small toes which often results in poor blood circulation.

Treating the condition is a three-way process: management of symptoms, prevention of attacks, and reduction of serum uric acid. Patients are given a drug that inhibits the conversion of purine into uric acid such as allopurinol, and are expelled from the body through the urine and feces. Some patients who may not find relief from this treatment are given the uricosurics to hasten the excretion of uric acid from the body. Patients are switched to probenecid as an alternative since its side effects may cause the long retention of other drugs in the body.

Pain relief is the first concern in treating an acute Gout attack once the condition is verified with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s), colchicine and oral glucocorticoids, or injections of intra-articular glucocorticoids. The more common NSAID’s are: diclofenac, etoricoxib, indomethacin, professor, naproxen or sulindac. For patients at risk of gastric irritation from such drugs, proton pump inhibitors may be administered.

The many symptoms of Gout can be effectively addressed with the correct Gout treatment, not only with the prescribed drugs but also from a drastic change of an unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits.

Want gout relief? Learn more about gout pain relief.

When your body has a build up of uric crystals around your joints you will experience pain, that pain is knows as Gout. The reason uric crystals build up is because you are either taking in to many for your your body to handle or you have something wrong with you medically that prevents your body breaking down foods high in purine correctly.

The body can normally dissolve uric acid in the blood. Uric acids are filtered by the kidney and eliminated in the body as through the urine. However, abnormally high levels of uric acid can occur and these are deposited in the body.

No one ever thinks about their kidneys until they start to malfunction in some way, one of the functions that your kidneys perform is to clean uric acid from your system and send it out of your body in your urine. When your kidneys stop filtering and removing uric acid you are in with a good chance of developing gout.

As with most things eating a few foods which are high in purine is fine, but when you start to overdo it your body will let you know it. The medical term for high levels of uric acid is hyperuricemia, but that doesn’t automatically mean that you have gout, it does mean however that you should be taking even more notice of what you are eating.

Gout is generally found in men, The chances that you will develop gout increase if you have family members afflicted with it. Obesity is a major contributor as well as an above average intake of alcohol. What you eat as well as how much you eat affects your chances of developing gout (as well as other illness).

You may notice that your big toe feels really hot at first and then the toe may look swollen and red. Then when you are in bed that night you will be woken up with an excruciating pain in your big toe, it will usually hurt just to have the bed sheet touching your toe. Gout attacks are painful and yet it is all caused by tiny uric acid crystals.

You are in charge of your gout, you can reduce the frequency and the severity of your gout attacks just by changing what you eat and drink. Keep a diary of what you eat and drink for 3 months and you will see that your attacks almost always follow a bout of eating or drinking either in excess or items that are high in purines.

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