Gout: Under the microscope

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Each week we look more closely at the most common health conditions.

This week, we're focussing on gout...

What is gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes pain and swelling of the joints. The most common part of the body affected is the big toe, but it can happen anywhere.

What are the symptoms of gout?

Typical things to watch out for with gout are:
- Very sharp joint pain, usually in the big toe. This is the main symptom and often happens at night.
- Swelling
- Red, shiny skin
- Itchy skin by the affected joint
Gout is so painful that many sufferers have problems walking and even having a blanket or duvet on the problem area will ache.

Where do I get gout?

Apart from the big toe, gout can affect any joint including heels, fingers, knees and elbows - and often two or more at once.

Who gets gout?

Gout affects 1 in 200 people, mainly men between the ages of 30-60, although women do develop the condition around the start of the menopause.

What causes gout?

Gout is caused by a build up uric acid (urate) in the blood. This is normally broken down naturally and passes through the kidneys, but in sufferers, the kidneys don't get rid of the urate quickly enough or produce too much urate which collects in the problem areas.

There are also certain risk factors that play a part in getting gout:
- Being a man: they have twice the level of urate in their body
- A diet that is high in something called purine
- Drinking lots of alcohol: this gets in the way of how your body processes the urate
- Being overweight
- A family history of gout or kidney disease
- High blood pressure

How do I know if I've got gout?

Your doctor will have to carry out blood tests to check the levels of urate in your blood. He may also refer you to hospital for an X-ray of your joint.

How is gout treated?

The non-drug treatment is complete rest of the joint and applying an ice pack (wrapped in a towel) for 20 minutes.
Your doctor can also prescribe drug treatments to reduce the pain and swelling.

How long will gout last?

The good news is that symptoms usually only last between 3-10 days and the joint pain should disappear completely. However, more than 3 in 5 people get repeat attacks of gout within a year.

Can I stop gout coming back?

There are lifestyle choices you can make to prevent it.
- Cut your alcohol intake
- Eat fewer purine-rich foods, your doctor can advise you what this includes.
- Try to lose excess weight through a calorie-controlled diet.

If you suffer from repeat attacks of gout, you can get a medicine called allopurinol that can help lower the amount of urate in your body.

- Read last week's Under the microscope: Underactive thyroid