What is gout?

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis associated with hyperuricemia leading to deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the joints. It is more common in men than in women, women become susceptible to it after menopause, it is usually asymptomatic before the age of 30.

Gout has four stages:

1. asymptomatic hyperuricemia
2. acute gouty
3. intercritical gout
4. chronic tophaceous gout

What Causes Gout?

Gout is produced as a result of hyperuricemia when excessive amounts of uric acid (an end product of purine metabolism), accumulate within several tissues specially the joints as a result of defects in purine metabolism. This accumulation induce an acute inflammatory reaction.

Although a high level of uric acid is an essential component of gout, not all such persons develop gout, sometimes genetic and environmental factors also contribute to its pathogenesis.

Gout Symptoms

Gout usually begins at night as an acute attack appears suddenly other symptoms often includes:

• excruciating joint pain
• localized erythema and warmth
• inflammation
• swelling of joints

Risk factors

Gout risk factors include:

• obesity
• excess alcohol intake
• consumption of purine-rich foods
• diabetes
• renal failure

Prevention

Coffee, folate and dairy products intake lowers gout risk. Avoiding medications that causes hyperuricemia like thiazide diuretics, cyclosporine and aspirin.

Know more about gout diet and foods that causes gout. Click here

Treatment

Gout Medication

1. NSAIDs or coxibs: These are the treatment choice that rapidly reduces the pain and swelling, such as Naproxen, Diclofenac, Indometacin. These medications are used in patient without renal impairment.
2. Colchicine: used for patient with renal impairment.
3. Corticosteroids: oral prednisolone or intramuscular or intra-articular depot methylprednisolone.

Along with medications, lifestyle changes may help manage the symptoms and reduce risk of gout attacks.

• reduce alcohol intake, especially beer (high in purines and fructose)
• reduce total calorie and cholesterol intake
• avoids such foods as offal, some fish and shellfish and spinach