Gout symptoms are caused by inflammation of the affected joint, including pain, redness, heat, and swelling, which may occur in the fingers or toes, ankle, knee, or elbow, for example.
Gout is characterized by inflammatory arthritis, and usually affects one joint at a time, although it may also affect more joints, especially when it develops for a long time and without proper treatment. The main signs and symptoms include:
- Pain, which during a crisis usually appears abruptly, and often begins at night, and lasts about 2 to 3 days;
- Chills, sweating, and fever may accompany bouts of pain;
- Red, hot and swollen joint ;
- Formation of gouty tophi, which are nodules formed around the affected joint, due to the accumulation of sodium monourate in the tissue of the joint and around it, and appears in people who have the disease for many years without proper treatment;
- Deformities and limitation of joint movement, caused by gouty tophi;
During periods between gout crises, the patient may experience no symptoms for several months, however, as the disease worsens, the intervals between crises become shorter until an occlusion arises, in which the joints involved are permanently painful and inflamed
Gout most commonly affects people aged 35-50, mostly men, and is caused by the accumulation of crystals of uric acid in the joint in people who already have high uric acid. Check out how to identify and treat high uric acid.
How to know if it's gout
The doctor may suspect gout with the patient's clinical evaluation, observing the symptoms and assessing the characteristics of joint inflammation.
To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to perform tests, such as the measurement of uric acid in the blood or even the detection of crystals of sodium monourate in the aspirate of the joint.
The doctor should also rule out other types of arthritis, such as infectious arthritis, 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 carried out with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen or Indomethacin, for example. Colchicine is also a type of anti-inflammatory very used in these cases, because it diminishes the inflammatory reaction of the joint in the gout crisis. It is also recommended to hold cold water compresses to help relieve localized symptoms.
Already after the crisis, measures are needed to prevent new crises and to control the levels of uric acid in the blood, which is done through food, avoiding meats, seafood and alcoholic beverages, being also indicated the weight control and the use of medicines, if recommended by the physician. Check out more natural remedies and remedies options on how to treat gout.
