what are the symtons for gout?

Answer 1

What is gout?

Gout is a form of arthritis marked by sudden attacks of painful, inflamed joints. It is characterized by pain, swelling, redness, and warmth (inflammation) as well as stiffness in a joint or joints. Without treatment, gout attacks tend to recur and may cause severe damage to joints, tendons, and other tissues. Gout is most common in men



What are the symptoms of gout?

Gout usually develops after a number of years of buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints and surrounding tissues. The most common symptom of gout is a nighttime attack that produces swelling, tenderness, redness, and sharp pain affecting a big toe (this symptom is called podagra). People who have gout may have a few very painful attacks in one or two joints, usually the big toe, foot, ankle, or knee joints. The attack can last a few days or as long as several weeks, and then the symptoms disappear completely. Another attack may not occur for months or years.

You should avoid eating foods rich or high in purine. The body converts this into uric acids..


How is it treated?

The goals of treatment for gout are rapid pain relief and prevention of future gout attacks and long-term complications, such as joint destruction and kidney stones.

There are two parts to the treatment of gout:

Reducing acute painful joint inflammation (a gouty attack) by using anti-inflammatory medications or corticosteroids

Preventing future attacks and long-term complications by:
Eliminating causes such as certain medications

Adjusting diet and alcohol intake

Taking prescribed medication to lower the uric acid.


Purine-Rich Foods

According to the American Medical Association, purine-containing foods include:


Beer, other alcoholic beverages.
Anchovies, sardines in oil, fish roes, herring.
Yeast.
Organ meat (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads)
Legumes (dried beans, peas)
Meat extracts, consomme, gravies.
Mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower.


Beneficial Foods

Foods which may be beneficial to people with gout include:


Dark berries may contain chemicals that lower uric acid and reduce inflammation.

Tofu which is made from soybeans may be a better choice than meats.

Certain fatty acids found in certain fish such as salmon, flax or olive oil, or nuts may possess some anti-inflammatory benefits.


Avoiding purine-rich foods is only one aspect of treatment however. It is important to take prescribed medications as directed, maintain a healthy/balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids/water, exercise and maintain a healthy body weight. Diets designed for quick or extreme weight loss will work against you though -- they increase uric acid levels in the blood.


Balanced Diet

According to the American Medical Association, a balanced diet for people with gout include foods:


High in complex carbohydrates (whole grains, fruits, vegetables)

Low in protein (15% of calories and sources should be soy, lean meats, poultry)

No more than 30% of calories from fat (10% animal fat)


Hope this thorough explanation helps.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Generally you would expect some localised swelling and pain. You can get gout in many areas of the body and can be easily treated by your GP or by avoiding substances that you find make it worse for you. Gout in the big toe is very common and can be exceedingly painful - because the pain comes from swelling in the joint it can be different for different people. On the whole many people find great relief from identifying their trigger foods and avoiding them where possible but other wise medication is easily available. Trigger foods that are frequently mentioned are poultry, onions, tomatoes, and I'm sorry to tell you, alcohol. Another contributing factor to gout can be being overweight, so trying to lose any excess pounds should help too. If you try to remove any areas you feel might be exacerbating the problem and still get no relief you should consult your local health care professional. Another cause of pain in the big toe though is from a fallen arch in your foot and you will need to see a chiropodist to have an insole made for your shoe which would resolve the pain immediately. I hope this is of some help. Best wishes

Answer 4

Gout is a condition where uric acid crystals build up in the body.
This can happen in the area of the big toe and cause a lot of pain.
Our foods contain purines; some foods are higher in this than others.
The doctor may place you on a lower purine diet (of which they will usually provide you a list of foods to avoid. There is also medications that can lower the uric acid in the blood
Here an alternative way to cure gout?

Answer 5

There is excruciating, sudden, unexpected, burning pain, swelling, redness, warmness and stiffness in the joint. 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. For example, a blanket or even the lightest sheet draping over the affected area could cause extreme pain.

Gout usually attacks the big toe (approximately 75% of first attacks), however it can also affect other joints such as the ankle, heel, instep, knee, wrist, elbow, fingers, and spine. In some cases the condition may appear in the joints of the small toes which have become immobile due to impact injury earlier in life, causing poor blood circulation that leads to gout.

Patients with longstanding hyperuricemia can have uric acid crystal deposits called tophi (singular: tophus) in other tissues e.g. the helix of the ear. Uric acid stones can form as one kind of kidney stone in some occasions.

Answer 6

The symptoms for gout are, swelling and redness in the feet, especially in the big toes. That pain is something you will remember all your days. Even the slightest touch of a sheet, sock, or anything touching the big toes will ache and hurt like h***. One cause that I know for sure is eating red meat in excess. I believe some shellfish also contribute as well as acid- type veggies. It's caused by a build up of uric acid in the body. And when you eat these things in excess, your body reacts with the gout. I do believe it's hereditary. Check around to see if it runs in your family. The best thing to do is a little research on the web. Sites such as WEB-MD, or just type in on your browser, symptoms of gout, and it should help you understand about the disease. If you do have it, the doctor will give you a medication called "Allopurinol" and maybe "indomethicin" for the inflammation. I feel for you if you have it, Best of luck to you!

Answer 7

Gout is usually severe pain located in one of your joints.
Usually a weight bearing joint such as the big toe,shoulder etc.
Foods that have purines are the main culprit. eg. prawns, prunes, anchovies, crayfish, tomato paste,olives, some cheeses, & any foods that produce acid.
Blood tests will usually confirm that you have the gout.

Answer 8

Gout is very painful...the joint or joints that are involved are swollen, painful and hot to the touch...
General pain medicines usually do not take the pain away...a medicine called "colchicine" will.
Hope this helps

Answer 9

Cramping of the toes. It is a form of arthritis, usually aggravated by alcohol consumption!