Gout in Big Toe: The 8 most important FAQ's that will help you

Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone. Gout in big toe is characterised by a sudden and intense attacks of pain in the joints of the big toe. A gout attack can even wake you up in the middle of the night, although it can also occur first thing in the morning. It usually affects one joint at a time, mainly the big toe joint.

Podagra, or gout in big toe, is a form of gout that affects the joints of the foot or toes and results in acute, painful inflammatory episodes or attacks. The inflammation is caused by excess uric acid forming small crystals in and around the joints.^[1]

How is the pain of Podagra?

Acute attacks of gout are characterised by the rapid onset of pain in the affected joint, followed by heat, swelling, reddish discolouration and marked tenderness. Some people even report feeling as if the affected area is on fire. The small joint at the base of the big toe is the most common area for an attack. Other joints that may be affected are the ankles, knees, wrists, fingers and elbows. It rarely affects the shoulders, hips and spine. If you have gout in one joint, it does not mean that it will spread to the other joints.^[2]

In some people, the acute pain is so severe that the slightest touch of the bed sheet to the toe causes acute pain. These painful attacks usually subside within hours or days, with or without medication. In rare cases, an attack can last for weeks. Most people with gout will have repeated attacks over the years.^[3]

Risk factors

Obesity, excessive weight gain, especially in young people, moderate to heavy alcohol consumption, high blood pressure and abnormal kidney function are among the risk factors for developing gout. Certain medications and diseases can also cause high levels of uric acid. In addition, there is an increased prevalence of abnormally low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) in patients with gout.

Diagnosis of Podagra

Podagra is considered when a patient reports a history of repeated attacks of painful arthritis at the big toe. The most reliable test for gout is the detection of uric acid crystals in joint fluid obtained by joint aspiration. This procedure is performed under topical local anaesthetic. Using a sterile technique, fluid is withdrawn (aspirated) from the inflamed joint using a syringe and needle.

However, a full blood work-up, X-rays and an overall assessment of the patient’s health is the first line of assessment for gout.

Symptoms of gout in Big Toe include

Pain: Tiny, sharp crystals build up under the skin and around the joint, causing pain that can be severe. The most intense pain usually occurs in the first 12 to 24 hours of the attack.^[4]

Swelling: Sometimes the joint becomes swollen, i.e. larger. The appearance of a gout attack in the joint may resemble swelling caused by a blow.

Redness: The joint may appear red.

Warmth: You may feel that the joint is warm, as if it is giving off heat. It may feel warm to the touch. When describing gout pain, some people say that the joint feels like it is on fire.

Stiffness: In more severe cases of gout, the joint may become stiff. This stiffness may appear over time after several gout attacks, especially in cases of chronic gout.

More info here: Gout Symtoms.

After the inflammation from a gout attack has gone away, it is recommended to follow a long-term treatment to reduce the level of uric acid in your blood and the frequency and severity of future attacks.^[5] These medications should not start until several days or weeks after a gout attack has ended. Long-term treatment depends on uric acid levels and the likelihood of recurrent gout attacks.^[6]

Treatment of Gout

Gout treatment consists of managing the gout attack and preventing recurrences and possible complications. It is taken for life; regular medical follow-up is necessary.

The aim of gout treatment is to treat the gout attack and to eliminate the pain.

It also allows, thanks to a basic treatment, to prevent :

the recurrence of gouty attacks;
the formation of tophi ;
joint complications;
the appearance of kidney stones.

Background treatment is effective if the uricemia falls below a threshold value in order to obtain the dissolution of urates (salts of uric acid).

Gout is a chronic disease that requires lifelong treatment and multidisciplinary management, involving the treating physician, a rheumatologist, a cardiologist, a nephrologist, etc. This is to control the gout but also the associated cardiovascular risk.

The first step in treatment is to rest the joint affected by gout (resting the foot if a toe joint is affected, for example). A device, such as an orthosis, can be proposed to relieve the joint (for example, the wrist).

In order to reduce the inflammation, it is recommended to cool the joint with ice. The ice should not be placed directly on the skin to avoid the “burning” sensation caused by the cold. It is preferable to put it in a clean cloth before putting it on the inflamed joint (often the big toe). The operation can be repeated at home, every 4 hours; this shortens the duration of the gouty attack.

Here Natural Remedies: Curcumin and Boswellia.

Gout Home Remedies

What is the fastest way to get rid of gout?

To get rid of gout, you must lower your uric acid level. And the best way to lower high uric acid is to improve our diet. It is very important to eliminate foods that raise uric acid and introduce others that are healthier for the body. The first thing to do is to avoid foods rich in purines.

To lower high uric acid, we must always maintain good hydration in the body. We must drink between 1.5 and 2 liters of water a day to stimulate kidney function, since the purines that raise uric acid are eliminated through urine.

How do you treat gout in the big toe?

Take medications, such as colchicine and corticosteroids.
Drink water to stay hydrated. If you are fluid restricted due to kidney failure, talk to your doctor or dietitian about gout and fluid management.
Do not drink alcohol or eat foods high in purines.
Take stress off the joint. For example, try walking with a cane.
Elevate the affected joint.
Apply a cold pack to keep the joint cool.
Find ways to relieve tension caused by pain, such as deep breathing and meditation.

Read more: How do you treat gout in the big toe?

How do I know if I have gout in my big toe?

The most frequent form of gout is to suffer attacks of inflammation in the first metatarsophalangeal joint, that is to say, the one that joins the big toe to the rest of the foot, mainly in its external face. It is usually an acute and very painful process that starts at night or first thing in the morning, and with such intense swelling and pain that it can even wake you up and make even the slightest friction annoying.

An attack of gout can occur suddenly and can often cause you to wake up in the middle of the night with the feeling that your big toe is on fire.

The toe is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of a bed sheet may seem intolerable. It is often accompanied by erythema or redness of the skin surrounding the joint. The attacks may initially be short-lived and milder, but if no remedy is provided to cure gout, they tend to become increasingly intense and long-lasting.

So, signs and symptoms of gout may come and go, but they almost always occur suddenly, often at night. These include:

Severe joint pain. Gout usually affects the big toe, but can occur in any joint. Other commonly affected joints include the ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and fingers. The pain is likely to be most severe within the first four to 12 hours after it starts.
Persistent discomfort. After the most severe pain goes away, some joint discomfort may remain, which may last for a few days or weeks. Later attacks are likely to last longer and affect more joints.
Swelling and redness. Affected joints become swollen, tender, warm and red.
Limited range of motion. As gout progresses, you may not be able to move your joints normally.

How long does gout attack in the big toe last?

Gout is a disease caused by an accumulation of monosodium urate crystals in various parts of the body, but mainly in the joints, soft tissues and kidneys. The acute attack of gout is the one that usually starts during the night and consists of an arthritis that causes severe pain and also redness in the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe. As a rule, gout attacks may initially be short-lived and mild, but if nothing is done to cure the disease, they can become increasingly severe and long-lasting.

An acute attack of gout lasts 3 to 10 days on average. Chronic gout occurs more frequently, but may be less severe.

Gout attacks vary in duration: some last only a few hours and others last several days. But in general, a gout attack usually gets better within 3 to 10 days. People who have had gout in the past may well have gout again after a few months or years. In addition, these repeated attacks may last longer and occur more often. If left untreated, gout is likely to progress and cause permanent joint pain and may damage the kidneys.

With proper treatment, your gout attack should go away in a few days. If left untreated, it can last for several days or weeks.

Talk to your doctor if you continue to have gout attacks. The more frequent they are, the longer they can last and the more joints they can affect. Your doctor may prescribe medicines to help prevent future gout attacks. These medications remove uric acid from your joints, reduce the level in your body and reduce swelling. Aspirin may interfere with the way these medications work. Work with your doctor on a treatment plan to control your gout. You may need routine visits to monitor your uric acid level.

What are the symptoms of gout in big toe?

On many occasions the joint at the base of the big toe is where the attack of gout usually originates, as we have seen, giving the sensation that it is on fire as the affected joint is hot (as if it were on fire), swollen and so sensitive that even the weight of the sheets or blanket cannot be supported. But what are the symptoms?

Typical symptoms involve severe pain in the joints of the foot and toes, along with redness, swelling, difficulty moving the joints and sometimes tophi (deposits of uric acid crystals in the form of firm, yellowish nodules). Symptoms usually appear suddenly and gout attacks are often recurrent.

It occurs as sudden episodes (attacks) of severe pain and swelling of a joint and is one of the causes of acute arthritis. The acute episode, without treatment, lasts for several days.

These episodes tend to recur and can affect any joint in successive attacks. The joint most frequently affected is the first metatarsophalangeal joint of the foot, but it can also occur in other joints of the feet, the ankles and, more rarely, the knees or wrists.

Occasionally, synovial bursae or tendons may become inflamed, leading to bursitis or tenosynovitis, respectively. If the disease is allowed to progress, the attacks may not resolve completely, affecting several joints at the same time and severely limiting the patient’s quality of life.

Sometimes, in advanced stages, palpable accumulations appear in the form of hard nodules, called tophi. Sometimes, uric acid crystals are deposited in the kidneys, leading to episodes of nephritic colic.

The symptoms of gout can be intermittent, although there are ways to control them and also to prevent exacerbations. As we said, it most commonly occurs at night and some of the main symptoms are:

Severe joint pain in big toe.
Persistent discomfort: After the internal pain goes away, some joint discomfort may still remain. This may last for a few days or weeks, and subsequent attacks are also likely to last much longer and affect other joints.
Redness and swelling. The joints also become swollen, tender, warm and red.
Functional disability and limited range of motion. As the gout or gout attack progresses, it is very likely that the individual will not be able to move the joints normally.
Nephritic colic.

What to know about gout uric acid crystals?

If your body's level of the crystals (a waste product of the fat burning capacity) rises unchecked, there should come a point once the blood is saturated. Normally, the kidneys' filter system expels the the crystals through a complicated procedure for excretion, reabsorption and re-excretion. But sometimes the kidneys neglect to do this, because of kidney problems, diabetes or various infections.

How is your kidney health and gout linked?

The kidneys can be affected if folks are very badly dehydrated for quite a while or fast for most days. The uric acid crystals usually get deposited in the delicate synovial membrane of the single joints of the legs and feet - 50 % of problems occur in the big toe - or even more rarely in the hands.

Crystals may also form on the gut lining since it tries to expel a number of the excess the crystals. This deposit of hard the crystals crystals in the membrane of the joint causes acute inflammation. Moreover, the gravel-like deposits tear the membrane and expose the nerve endings.

Can banaba be used to combat gout?

Banaba. The results in tend to be boiled in order to have the extract of the plant and, the boiled drinking water with the extract will be drunked by the individual with illness. The leaves may also be sometimes positioned on top as a cover up to the wound to ensure that quicker wound healing.

Banaba tea might help in fat loss even without dietary limitations. Banaba tea might help detoxify the body and secure the liver. Banaba tea creates a positive effect of reducing trigyceride and LDL cholesterol, which help in weight loss. It can help in the therapy of urinary system infections.

Can turmeric stop gout symptoms?

Turmeric (Luyang Dilaw). That is also a powerful and incredibly effective herb that cleanses the body, flushing out poor cholesterol where it decreases our cholesterol rate, and an excellent detoxifier which would subsequently flush out too much the crystals in our body. Frequently for Gout prevention, Turmeric works more effectively being used as a tea.

Sources

How to Reduce Uric Acid Naturally

Healthcare Tips Pro.

Nowadays, those people, who are health conscious and go for a regular health check-up, are acquainted with the word “uric acid”. But many of them do not know what it actually is and what kinds of problems? Did you know that high uric acid levels in blood cause excruciating gout which can eventually produce damaged joints and kidneys? Uric acid in our blood is in the form of monosodium urate, which, if increases, gets deposited in the joints and kidneys and causes diseases. Apart from the...

Beating Gout

Ayerware Publishing. 2022

The most comprehensive and up-to-date book on managing gout written for the gout sufferer. Covers all aspects of the disease from its progression, diagnosis, and treatment, to the latest research on diet and lifestyle choices that affect gout. No other source has more practical, scientifically backed information that gout sufferers can start using immediately to reduce or stop attacks while living a healthier, pain free life.

What is Gout?

Booktango. 2013

Gout is a medical condition characterized by a swollen, red, painful joint that has a limited range of motion. Swollen joints happen because of an accumulation of uric acid in the bloodstream, which then crystallizes in the joints. People who are affected by gout often have a fever and a general feeling of malaise associate with the disease. While gout is exceedingly painful, with proper treatment there is no reason why people with gout cannot be expected to make a full recovery. Without...

Gout

Springer Science & Business Media. 2012

Gout: Basic Science and Clinical Practice is a thoroughly researched comprehensive text which covers all important aspects of gout, including its genetics, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. Gout is probably the most common rheumatic disease after osteoarthritis and is becoming more common with the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the US, and in many other countries. Only about 10% of patients with gout are treated by rheumatologists and this often leads to inadequate...

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5 Comments

Dany
Posted 2. November 2022 at 16:43
Thanks to this information I understood what was wrong with me, I really have the symptoms of gout in my big toe. It is just as described in the info, it is such a strong burning that it does not let me sleep several nights. I did not know what was the cause of my problem, now I know that nutrition is vital to alleviate these intense pains. Excellent information, thanks for sharing it with everyone!
0Likes Reply
Frederik
Posted 25. April 2023 at 20:22
This article is easy to understand and it was exactly what I need it. Gout is very common in my family and I wanted to leran how to prevent it and treat it.
0Likes Reply
Willhelm
Posted 21. May 2024 at 22:12
I am a 65 year old retired mechanic and this is my second time ordering Fyron G1+G2 because it relieves my joints from pain in my feet.
0Likes Reply
Rae W.
Posted 28. May 2024 at 15:10
My doctor told me to try turmeric and boswellia for the paralyzing pain caused by gout on my big toe. I had difficulty walking even a few steps, there are days when it is impossible for me to walk, it is torture. First I tried “some kind” of turmeric… took the whole bottle and NOTHING. Then I found these drops of Fyron G1+G2 and I read that it said “inflammatory response” as it contains turmeric and boswellia. Thinking it would not be different from the first bottle, I could not believe that in 2-3 days my pain was gone completely! I don’t mean it was “a little better”…he’d gone and been ever since.
0Likes Reply
Anne Marie
Posted 29. May 2024 at 22:40
I’m taking 2 times a day Fyron G1+G2 – it’s a friend’s advice. For arteries on my big toe. It took about six weeks to get the effect I expected. What a difference. Before taking I could not even walk without help from others but now there is no problem – brilliant. You need to give the drops time to work, but they do!
0Likes Reply

Suffering from Gout in Big Toe? Learn here more than 8 ways to get better