What Is Gout? What Causes Gout?

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Main Category: Gout
Also Included In: Pain / Anesthetics
Article Date: 02 Apr 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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The word gout comes from Latin gutta and old French gote meaning "a drop". Several hundred years ago gout was thought to be caused by drops of viscous humors that seeped from blood into the joints. In fact, this supposition was not that far from the truth. When a patient experiences the symptoms of a gout attack uric acid has been accumulating in his blood, and uric acid deposits have been forming in the joints.

Gout is a complex disorder, it is more prevalent among men, and afflicts women more commonly after the menopause. Men have higher uric acid levels in their blood than women.

What are the symptoms of gout?

Signs and symptoms of gout are generally acute - they come on suddenly without warning. A significant proportion of patients experience them at night.

What causes gout?

The levels of uric acid in your blood rise until the level becomes excessive (hyperuricemia), causing urate crystals to build up around the joints. This causes inflammation and severe pain when a gout attack happens.

When the human body breaks down chemicals called purines it produces uric acid. Purines can be found naturally in your body, as well as in food, such as organ meats, anchovies, asparagus, mushrooms and herring.

Most of the time uric acid dissolves and goes into the urine via the kidneys. However, if the body is producing too much uric acid, or if the kidneys are not excreting enough uric acid, it builds up. The accumulation results in sharp urate crystals which look like needles. They accumulate in the joints or surrounding tissue and cause pain, inflammation and swelling.

Surprisingly, hyperuricemia is commonly found in many people who never develop gout. Scientists are not completely sure what causes hyperuricemia. There is definitely a genetic factor because a person who has close relatives with hyperuricemia is more likely to develop it himself.

The following have been known to bring about a gout attack and may be contributory causes of gout:

When should you see a doctor?

If you have a sudden and intense pain in a joint get in touch with your doctor. If you do not treat it, the gout can gradually get worse over time. If you also have a temperature, and the joint is hot and/or inflamed, get medical attention as soon as possible - it could mean you have an infection.

How to test for gout?

After examining you, your doctor may carry our either or both these tests:

What are the complications of gout?

Gout does not commonly cause any further problems. However, some are possible:

Treatment for Gout

1) Medication

Gout is usually treated with medications, these include: 2) Self Help

These measures may help ease the pain and swelling:

How to prevent gout

1) Medications

There are some medicines which can reduce your risk of future gout attacks. These are usually taken after an attack is over: 2) Nutrition

Although diets have not been proven to reduce a person's risk of gout, this is due to a lack of studies, rather than the existence of studies that prove diet is ineffective. It would make sense not to consume too many foods that are high in purines, such as red meat, meat organs, and seafood. Reducing your consumption of alcoholic drinks may also be beneficial. Some say you should consume more low-fat dairy products, while others mention a good intake of whole-grain breads. If you drink plenty of water you might dilute the amount of uric acid in your blood, some say.

Latest news on gout

The Medical News Today website includes a specialist category on gout, allowing you to keep up-to-date with the latest research via website, RSS, weekly newsletter and daily news alerts.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Christian Nordqvist. "What Is Gout? What Causes Gout?." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 2 Apr. 2009. Web.
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