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Article #170: What Are The Symptoms Of Gout?

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Gout is an arthritis-based condition in the affected area will be very hot. Your
which the body produces high levels of joints will turn red and look as though
uric acid that forms crystals in the you are bruised.
blood. These crystals travel through the The intercritical stage is when the
body and are deposited in joints patient does not have gout attacks on a
throughout the body, usually settling in regular basis. The attack can be spread
the big toes, causing severe pain and out between six months to two years of
swelling. An attack of gout usually lasts each other. There are reported cases when
between five and ten days and is an attack has not re-occurred for ten
excruciating. years.
Gout is almost always found in men who The chronic stage is perhaps the worse
are over the age of forty, but it can stage of all. This is when joints are
also occur in women who are in menopause. extremely painful because of large
No one knows for certain what causes crystals that are not only deposited in
gout, although some studies suggest that the joints, but also in between the
there are a number of different causes. bones, in membranes and soft tissue.
There may be a defect in the person's It is easy to recognize gout because the
metabolism that causes the body to create skin that is covering the crystal
and retain too much uric acid. Another deposits develops ulcers that leak. A
cause may be that the kidney is damaged lesser, but equally painful, symptom is
to the point of preventing the disposal stiffness, leaving the patient unable to
of uric acid. move the areas that are affected.
If a person is being treated for high When diagnosing gout, your doctor will
blood pressure, Thiazide diuretic order blood tests and x-rays.
medications may cause an onset of gout. The blood tests are to determine the
There are certain blood diseases and level of uric acid that is in your blood
cancers that may also get it started. and the x-rays are to find where the
There are four stages in diagnosing gout. crystal deposits are and to determine
Asymptomatic stage is when the uric acid what the extent of the damage is.
in the blood is extremely high, but there The treatment for Gout is different for
are no symptoms of gout. No swelling and each person. Usually it is treated
no pain. through medication and dietary changes.
The acute stage is when it is gout is By following your doctor's instructions,
most painful. The pain starts in the you can lessen the severity of each
joints as a dull ache and quickly becomes attack.
excruciating. Swelling soon follows and






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