Basic Information on Gout

If you are suffering from gout, you would most likely try to find as much information on gout as you can. First, it is important that you know that this condition is a form of metabolic arthritis. People who have elevated levels of uric acid in their body are at a higher risk of suffering from this problem.

The pain being felt by the people who have this problem is actually due to the threadlike uric acid deposits found in between the joints or connective tissues. Eventually, these deposits cause the inflammation and stiffness of the joints. If you have needle-like crystals embedded in between your joints, you will surely feel heat, pain and tenderness in the affected areas.

If you suspect that you are suffering from gout, it is important that you visit the doctor immediately. Do not take any medication unless you are certain about what you are suffering from.

Some people actually have pseudo gout, which means that the deposits lodged in the connective tissues or joints are not uric acid but calcium phosphate crystals. It must be noted that the big toe is actually where gout usually strikes first. In fact, 75% of people have uric acid deposits in their big toes.

It is important to note that there are four stages of gout. In the first stage, which is known as asymptomatic hyperuricemia, patients simply have increased uric acid levels in their body. They really do not need medication. Eating food low in purine may help prevent eventual development of gout.

The second stage, which is called acute gouty arthritis, can already cause intense pain in patients because this is where the uric acid deposits start to form. In the third stage, which is called interval gout, patients still have uric acid deposits in their joints but they won’t feel any more pain or symptoms of gout.

The final stage, or the chronic tophaceous gout, usually builds up within a decade. At this stage, the gout has already caused severe damage to your joints and sometimes even to your kidneys. After you obtain all the information on gout that you needed, it is crucial that you start planning the preventive measures that you will take.