what are the symptoms of gout, and what causes it?

Answer 1

People usually have 'attacks' of gout - it may affect you for a period of time and then go away eventually, even without treatment. The symptoms include:

* severe pain in the joint(s) that develops within a few hours - the pain may be so severe that even the light pressure of bedclothes can feel unbearable
* red and shiny skin around the joint - in some cases the skin will peel
* fever

Without treatment, an attack usually lasts up to about two weeks. With treatment, this can be reduced to two to seven days.

Left untreated, attacks of gout may become more frequent and last longer.

Gout is caused if you have too much urate in your body.

Urate (also called uric acid) is a chemical which everybody has in their blood. It travels in the clear part of the blood (the plasma) in the form of a salt.

Urate is normally harmless and the body usually passes excess urate out of the body through the kidneys into the urine.

However, in people who are prone to gout, the level of urate can:

* build up - if the kidneys do not excrete urate fast enough
* rise if the body produces too much urate - this can happen due to other illnesses such as blood disorders or because of diet - see "Risk factors" below

If the level of urate is too high, it can form tiny crystals that collect in the tissues, particularly in and around joints.

Not everybody with high levels of urate gets gout and some people get gout but do not have high levels of urate.

The exact reason why some people develop gout and others don't is not currently known, but there are risk factors.
Risk factors

There are certain factors that can affect your likelihood of getting gout. You are more likely to have gout if you:

* are a man, as the plasma urate level normally tends to be higher in men than women
* consume high levels of a substance called purine in your diet
* drink lots of alcohol, which interferes with how your body passes out urate
* take certain medicines, such as diuretics, which increase the flow of urine from the body
* have a family history of gout
* have a family history of kidney disease causing the kidneys to not pass enough urate out in the urine
* are overweight
* have a medical condition such as psoriasis which can sometimes cause your body to produce too much urate - Psoriasis
* have high blood pressure - High blood pressure
* injure a joint
* have a surgical operation
* have some chemotherapy drugs

Answer 2

Gout has many causes, some are genetic and some are secondary to big diseases. Gout typically affects the big toe, and it characterized by an sudden excruciating pain that can wake the person at night. It is associated with a shiny glistening skin overlying the affected toe and when scratching the skin, white powder like substance appears. Pain increases on any kind of movement and decreases if the joint is fixed in one position and doesn't move. I don't think it's gout, I think it's from your job as a waitress where you stand very long hours. Your shoe wear is possibly the issue. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, and they should be slightly larger than your feet (and not too tight). Also, you should regular breaks sitting down. Try taking a panadol and use these steps, if they still persist, you MUST see a doctor. Keep me updated!

Answer 3

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Answer 4

My dad has gout in his ankle, it's horrible. When it starts acting up his ankle swells and he starts limping. He actually had to stay home on the couch for 3 weeks recently because of it.

It is caused by a build-up of uric acid in your joints. This is usually because your liver cannot process it fast enough so it just builds up into crystals and gets stuck in the joints. The crystals are like a bunch of tiny toothpicks in your joints. Most medications do not work very well because you take the medicine when the episode begins, but by then it's too late, the crystals are already formed.

The best "cure" my dad has found is cherries. He drinks a glass of pure cherry juice from the health food store every morning and takes cherry extract pills. Other juices like cranberry and grape are helpful too, but cherry is the best. (He could also explain that.) He also eats less meats, sugars, and acidic fruits when it is acting up.

Answer 5

my grandad has gout in his foot. he says it feels like constant cramp like the bones have locked in the wrong position. he finds it really hard to walk when he gets it. there are many causes.


Gout is a very painful form of arthritis that can develop when blood levels of uric acid are chronically high. Uric acid is a substance that normally forms when the body breaks down substances called purines, which are found in the body and consumed in foods.

Gout can occur on its own, but it is more often associated with other medical conditions or medications prescribed to treat other conditions, such as diuretics (used to treat high blood pressure), that may interfere with the body's ability to remove uric acid.


my 21 yr old friend also has it and he was told to cut out chocolate!

Answer 6

Painful joints, most often in the big toe. The affected joint will become extremely painful and red. Anti inflammatories usually sort it out, but if it's re-occuring you might need permanent medication to keep it away.

It is caused by a build up of uric acid. Can be hereditary.

Answer 7

symptoms, usually swollen and painful joints, most often in the feet or ankles. Caused by a build up of uric acid in your blood stream, the uric acid collects in these dependant joints and form crystals which create severe inflammation. Requires special medications to help your body rid itself of the uric acid.

Answer 8

It's a buildup of uric acid in the joints and causes them to swell to pretty large proportions. It usually affects the hands and feet. Often people fee very arthritic - they're stiff or it's painful to move those gouty joints. It can be hereditary or be caused by alcoholism or diabetes.

Answer 9

I'm not sure of the symptoms (possibly swelling and soreness in your extremities ie fingers and toes) but it's caused by an excess of uric acid in your system. Uric acid is found in many things including (sadly) red wine, port, brandy and - oddly enough - rhubarb.

Answer 10

its a build up of uric acid which crystalizes in the joints the most common places where the sufferer gets it is the big toe or hands etc...