What Are Gout Symptoms?

Gout is the most common kind of inflammatory arthritis. It can cause intense and sudden joint pain attacks, most of the time in the big toe at night. It can also attack the joints of the other toes or in the ankle or knees.

The symptoms of gout may be confused with another kind of arthritis, known as calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD). It was previously known as pseudogout.

People are likely to get gout if they suffer from:

Obesity.
Congestive heart failure.
Diabetes.
Inherited from someone in the family.
Kidney disease.
Hypertension.

Symptoms of Gout

A gout attack usually lasts 5 to 7 days, sometimes longer if you suffer from chronic gout. And the pain can be horrific. So it’s essential to read up on good gout dietary advice to lessen the attacks.

Symptoms may include:

Redness.
Stiffness.
Swelling.
Tenderness, even with a very light touch.
Feeling like the joint is burning.

Cause Of Gout

Gout is a result of too much uric acid in the blood.

Uric acid is produced when the body breaks down chemicals known as purines that are found in food and drinks.

It goes through the kidneys and leaves the body as you pee. But sometimes the body starts producing a lot of uric acid if you have a high purine diet and the kidneys can’t do their job properly.

When the body carries high uric acid levels it is called hyperuricemia. Uric acid crystals can then form in the joints. This sharp needle of crystals bore into your joint causing gout.

What Is Uric Acid And How To Control It?

Uric acid is basically a waste product that is found in human blood. Any food that is high in purines can increase the levels of uric acid.

A list of foods to avoid with gout include;

Organ meats such as livers.
Red meat.
Seafood or shellfish.
Drinks with high levels of fructose, corn syrup, or alcohol.
Protein from animal sources can lead to increased uric acid.

Some medicines can also cause increased uric acid. They include:

Diuretics are also known as water pills.
Immunosuppressants, or any medications that are used to slow the immune system.

If high uric acid levels are left untreated it can eventually lead to permanent tissue and bone damage, kidney disease, and heart disease. So you need to avoid food rich in purines.

Ask your doctor to give you a uric acid test.

What Is A High Uric Acid Level?

A normal range of uric acid in the body is 3.4 – 7 mg/dL. Uric acid is high if it goes above this range and you risk the unbearable pain of gout.

How To Lower Uric Acid

You can prevent gout from happening in the first place by making some important lifestyle choices. If your uric acid is high;

You should drink a lot of water and avoid any dehydration to help cleanse your kidneys.

Exercise on a regular basis to stay healthy and fit. Extra weight causes high uric acid in the body resulting in joint pain and stress.

Eat a low purine diet made up of gout friendly foods such as fruits. Cherries and blueberries are particularly good.
Eat plenty of nutrient dense vegetables.

High uric acid levels can be prevented with prescribed medications that dissolve the deposits of uric acid crystals. They include allopurinol and colchicine but they both do very different things.

Other natural ways to control high uric acid levels include tart cherry pills and turmeric supplements which are both gout dietary supplements that have been medically proven to work.

For a more comprehensive guide, check out our 10 minute gout cure.

Where Do You Get Gout?

Although gout in your toes is thought to be the most common, it can strike anywhere. You only have to look at some of the most popular Google searches to see that toe pain is quite a way down;

1. gout in foot.

2. gout in knee.

3. gout in ankle.

4. gout in hands.

5. gout in toe.

6. gout in fingers.

7. gout in top of foot.

8. gout in elbow.

9. gout in wrist.

10. gout in heel.

Some people get gout pain often, while others get it intermittantly.

It is very important to treat gout otherwise it can worsen over time.