Gout is caused when the amount of uric acid exceeds from its permitted limit in the blood. Urate, another name of uric acid is primarily responsible for the disease. Uric acid generally does no harm to the body and is usually released through excretion via urine or stool. Uric acid is found in the blood but when its limit exceeds it deposits a crystal like structure near the joints. These deposits result in severe inflammation, swelling and pain. Though, very different from the common arthritis, gout is also considered as a type of arthritis.
Major Causes of Gout:
Gout attack commonly takes place due to escalating concentration of uric acid in the blood. Urate crystals are formed when uric acid get deposited around the joints and soft tissues. You are prone to the gout attack if you are overweight, intake excessive alcohol and consume items having high amount of purines. Diuretic medications are also considered as primary cause of gout. Extremely low calorie diets and medications such as Aspirin and Niacin also result in gout symptoms.
Symptoms of Gout:
Symptoms of Gout starts appearing without prior warning and most of the patients experience its attack at night. Gout symptoms appear in the form of severe pain in the ankles, wrist and feet. Below are a few major symptoms of gout:
- Redness and inflammation
- Red/purplish skin
- Itchy and peeling skin later
- Severe pain in the joint
- Less flexibility
- Nodules
Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment:
To diagnose and treat the gout doctors perform few important tests. The doctors examine the gout affected joints to precisely diagnose the disease and collect the report to analyze the history of the disease and its symptoms. They conduct a blood test to check the increasing level of uric acid in the blood and also take sample fluid from the affected joints to test the possibility of uric acid crystals in the blood. Patients are also recommended with dietary changes and modifications to treat the gout. Some of the renowned and effective drugs prescribed for the gout are Colchicine, Uloric and Zyloprim.