In around 10% of cases there is a family history of the disorder. People who are overweight, have high blood pressure, eat diets rich in protein and drink alot of alcoholic drinks have an increased risk of developing this condition.It is the most common cause of inflammatory joint disease in men over 40 years old.
What is gout then?
Gout is a metabolic disorder. It occurs when there is a build up of a substance called uric acid.This causes painful attacks of arthritis type pain in the joints of the foot, knee, ankle, hand, wrist and most commonly in the big toe. If left untreated, attacks become more frequent, more prolonged and more painful throughout different body joints.
A joint in your big toe is the first joint to be afflicted in almost three quarters of cases seen by doctors.While this is usually the only joint affected, in about 10% of people other areas may be affected.
What causes Gout?
Gout occurs as a result of this uric acid building up in the blood and body tissues. After prolonged saturation of the tissues, crystals of urate can form in and around the joints and kidneys. If the uric acid crystals which form enter the joints, they may trigger the development of inflamation.
The affected joint becomes red, swollen and extremely painful and tender. Infrequently, stones may form in the kidneys. Most patients with gout have high levels of urate in their blood because they do not pass out enough of it in their urine. In most cases this is caused by an inherited peculiarity of the kidneys.
It can also be caused by high levels of uric acid in the diet (such as a lot of red meat) or by some drugs (eg. diuretics used for blood pressure). In a smaller number of cases patients produce too much uric acid in the first place, owing to an inherited metabolic abnormality or disorders associated with greatly increased production of cells in the body.
What are the symptoms of gout?
An attack usually develops quickly over a few hours. It causes severe pain in one joint - the base of the big toe. Walking can be very painful and even the weight of bedclothes can hurt.
However, any joint can be affected. Occasionally two or more joints are affected. Joints swell, and the skin may look inflamed. If left untreated, a gout attack may last several days, but usually goes completely within 7-10 days. Less severe attacks can occur which may be mistaken at first for other forms of arthritis. Some people only ever have one attack.
Can further gout attacks be prevented?
Many people only have an attack of gout every now and then. All you may need is to have some anti-inflammatory painkillers on 'standby' to treat each attack. For some people, attacks occur more often. In this situation, you can take a medicine to prevent attacks.
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