What is Gout? - By: sarun

What is Gout?

Gout is a condition often mentioned in literature and historical records. Described as a painful inflammation of the
limbs, especially the big toe, Gout develops as a result of the buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints.
Some people are more prone to it based on family history. Chances are that many of their ancestors suffered from it,
as well. But other people get it due to their own physiology and lifestyle choices. A form of arthritis, a gout
attack can be crippling and keep a person out of commission for one or more days while nursing their painful joints.

How Is Gout Diagnosed?

Even doctor can find gout difficult to diagnose. This is usually the case because the symptoms of gout may be
indistinct and often mimic other conditions. Although at some time during the course of gout, most people with
gout will have hyperuricemia, but it may not be present during an acute gout attack. Besides, having hyperuricemia
does not confirm one to have gout. In actual fact, most people with hyperuricemia do not develop the gout.

To confirm a diagnosis of gout, doctors will first have to test the synovial fluid found in the joint by using
a needle to draw a sample of the fluid from a person's inflamed joint. Under the microscope, the doctor will look
for monosodium urate crystals in the fluid sample by placing it on a slide. If the person is diagnosed with gout,
the doctor will almost always see crystals in the fluid sample obtained from the inflamed joint. Howere their
absence does not completely rule out the diagnosis of gout. Doctors may also find it useful to examine joint or
tophi deposits to diagnose gout.

Signs and Symptoms of Gout:

The observable signs and symptoms of gout are:

Attack of arthritis in only one joint, usually the toe, ankle, or knee

Arthritis that develops in 1 day

Hyperuricemia

More than one attack of acute arthritis

Painful joint that is swollen, red, and warm

Presence of uric acid crystals in joint fluid

How Is Gout Treated?

Most people diagnosed with gout should be able to control their symptoms and live a normal live with the help of
proper treatment. Gout can be treated with one or a combination of therapies. These gout treatments aims to relieve
the pain associated with acute gout attacks, prevent future gout attacks, and avoid the formation of new tophi in the
joints or in serious cases kidney stones in the kidney.

A common treatment for an acute attack of gout usually includes high doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAID's) and injections of corticosteroid drugs into the affected joint. NSAID's helps to diminish the inflammation
caused by deposits of uric acid crystals at the joints. The NSAID's most commonly prescribed by doctor for gout are
indomethacin and naproxen. These drugs can be taken orally every day. Patients on the prescription usually will begin
to improve within a few hours of the treatment, and subsequently the gout attacks will go away completely within a
few days.

In certain cases, the doctor may consider using colchicines when NSAID's fails to control the gout symptoms.
Colchicines is most effective when taken within the first 12 hours of an acute attack of gout. Colchicine can be
administered orally every hour until the gout symptoms subside, or they can inject by the doctor directly into a
vein. The side effect of colchicines is that it might cause diarrhea when taken orally.

For some patients, the doctor may prescribe either NSAID's or oral colchicine in small daily doses to prevent future
attacks of gout. In some cases, the doctor may have to prescribe allopurinol (Zyloprim) and probenecid (Benemid),
medicine used to treat hyperuricemia, if gout attacks continues and tophi develop even after the prescription of
NSAID's or colchicines.

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