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ARTHRITIS DISEASE
Joint Inflammation Gout is a systemic disease caused by
the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints of the body, causing
inflammation, swelling and pain. You wake up in the middle of the night,
and your big toe feels as if it's on fire. It's hot, swollen and so
tender that the weight of the blanket on it is nearly intolerable. If so, you might be experiencing an
acute attack of gout - or gouty arthritis - a form of arthritis that's
characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness and tenderness
in joints. Gout has been recognized for more than
2,000 years, making it one of humankind's oldest known diseases. In the
past, gout was often known as "the disease of kings" because it was
associated with wealthy men who overindulged in rich food and drink.
Today, it's known that gout is a complex disorder that can affect
anyone. It's true that men are more likely to
get gout than women are, but women become increasingly susceptible to it
after menopause. Fortunately, gout is treatable, and there are
ways to keep it from recurring.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of gout are almost always acute, occurring suddenly — often
at night — and without warning. They include:
Intense joint
pain.
Gout usually affects the large joint of your big toe but can occur
in your feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists. The pain typically
lasts five to 10 days and then stops. The discomfort subsides
gradually over one to two weeks, leaving the joint apparently normal
and pain-free.
Inflammation
and redness.
The affected joint or joints become swollen, tender and red.
Causes
The cause of gout is an excessive blood level of uric acid, a waste
product formed from the breakdown of purines. These are substances found
naturally in your body as well as in certain foods, especially organ
meats — such as liver, brains, kidney and sweetbreads — and anchovies,
herring and mackerel. Smaller amounts of purines are found in all meats,
fish and poultry.
Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and passes through your
kidneys into your urine. But sometimes your body either produces too
much or excretes too little of this acid. In that case, uric acid can
build up, forming sharp, needle-like crystals in a joint or surrounding
tissue that cause pain, inflammation and swelling.
Crystal deposits also cause another condition, known as false gout (pseudogout).
But rather than being composed of uric acid, pseudogout crystals are
made of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate. And while pseudogout can
affect the big toe, it's more likely to attack large joints such as your
knees, wrists and ankles. Risk factors The following conditions or circumstances can increase the chances you'll develop high levels of uric acid that may lead to gout:
Arthritis, gouty > next > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4
Related Site: Treatments
Treatments Programs:
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