Gout is a condition that is related to arthritis. It occurs when crystals of the uric acids build up in your joints. This is also known as uric Acid crystal-triggered arthritis. Gout usually manifests in the large toe joint, but it can also occur in the wrist, elbow, ankle, knee, and hand. Gout can also be found in the hips, spine, shoulders and hips in rare cases. Gout is typically localized and does not spread to other joints. Gout is caused by high levels of uric acids, which results from the breakdown of purines, body waste products.
Uric Acid Level
Normal amounts of uric acid dissolve in the blood and are filtered out by the kidneys. Then, it is excreted through urine. Crystals can form in tissues and joints when the level is too high. This can cause symptoms like inflammation of the joint linings, redness, tenderness and localized warmth. Gout can sometimes be confused for pseudogout, which has similar symptoms.
Pseudogout, however, is caused by calcium crystals and not uric acid. Therefore, treatment may be different. Gout can be characterized by sudden onset of pain, stiffness, warmth, redness and redness in the affected joints. Some people may experience a mild fever.
Pain Causes
Two things can cause the pain: first, the uric acids crystals that pinch the area when they are moved and secondly, the inflammation of the tissues that causes the skin to swell even if it is touched lightly. Even a thin blanket covering the affected area can cause severe pain. Gout symptoms usually start with the large toe (around 75 percent of first occurrences), but it can also affect other joints such as the spine, fingers and elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and heels.
Gout can also affect smaller toes in certain cases, particularly if the blood circulation is poor due to immobilization from an injury. Hyperuricemia, which is the excessive production or excess of uric acid, is another important sign of gout. Gout can be caused by high blood levels of uric acids.
Tophi
This could lead to tophi developing in other areas, such as the ears or kidneys. Gout symptoms can progress through different stages. The first stage, also known as the asymptomatic stage, is when uric levels rise above normal, but symptoms of gout may not be apparent. Out usually occurs in the second stage, also known as the acute stage. The acute stage is when symptoms are mild and may disappear within a few days to a few weeks.
The intercritical stage is a stage in which the patient does not experience symptoms. It can last from a few days to a few years. Within six months to two years after the initial attack, symptoms may recur. The chronic stage of gout is when the attacks become more frequent and affect multiple joints simultaneously. There may be big tophi in different joints. This could lead to kidney damage, kidney stone formations and hypertension.
Gout Symptoms
These do not necessarily indicate the presence of the disease. To confirm that gout is a real condition, medical tests are required. Gout can be diagnosed by measuring your uric acid levels. This is not accurate because people can still have gout even though their urate levels remain normal. Conversely, people with high levels of uric acid do not always have it. Urate level testing is usually done in conjunction with tests for electrolytes and erythrocyte sedimentation rates, full blood count, renal function, and uric acid levels.
The best way to determine if you have gout is to examine your joint fluid using light microscopy. This will show you if there are uric acid crystals within the synovial fluid of polymorphnouclearleukocytes. This test is however very difficult. To distinguish uric acids crystals from other types of crystals, an expert technician is required. Gout is often dismissed as a common condition. Some people even enjoy gout. Gout can cause severe symptoms and even hinder one’s ability to function normally. It is important to get treatment as soon as possible.