Gout symptoms are caused by inflammation of the affected joint, including pain, redness, heat and swelling, which can arise in the fingers or toes, ankles, knees or elbows, for example.
Gout is characterized by inflammatory arthritis, and usually affects one joint at a time, although it can also affect more joints, especially when it evolves for a long time and without proper treatment. The main signs and symptoms include:
- Pain, which during a crisis usually appears abruptly, and often starts at night, and lasts for about 2 to 3 days; Chills, sweat and fever can accompany pain attacks; Red, hot and swollen joint; Formation of goutous tophi, which are nodules formed around the affected joint, due to the accumulation of sodium monourate in and around the joint tissue, and appears in people who have the disease for many years without proper treatment; Deformities and limited movement of the joint, caused by the leafy tophi;
During the periods between attacks of gout, the patient may be symptom-free for several months, however, as the disease worsens, the intervals between crises become shorter, until chronic arthritis takes place, in which the joints involved are permanently painful and inflamed
Gout most often affects people aged 35 to 50, mainly men, and is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joint in people who already have high uric acid. Check out how to identify and treat elevated uric acid.
How to know if it's gout
The doctor may suspect gout with the clinical evaluation of the patient, observing the symptoms and evaluating the characteristics of the inflammation of the joint.
To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to carry out tests, such as the measurement of uric acid in the blood or even the detection of sodium monourate crystals in the joint aspirate.
The doctor should also rule out other types of arthritis, such as infectious, rheumatoid arthritis, for example. Learn more about the causes, diagnosis and treatment of gout.
What to do to treat
The treatment of gout crisis is performed with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen or Indomethacin, for example. Colchicine is also a type of anti-inflammatory widely used in these cases, as it decreases the inflammatory reaction of the joint in the gout crisis. Cold water compresses are also recommended to help relieve localized symptoms.
After the crisis, measures are needed to prevent new crises and control the levels of uric acid in the blood, which is done through food, avoiding meat, seafood and alcoholic beverages, and weight control and the use of medicines, if recommended by the doctor. Check out more options of remedies and natural treatments on how to treat gout.
