Gout is a chronic auto inflammatory disease with regular acute flares which causes severe pain and joint inflammation. It mainly occurs due to high content of uric acid in the blood, this leads to accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints and surrounding tissues that causes inflammation. It is a type of arthritis that affects the common joints such as big toe, ankle and knee.

1. Gout
Gout is a chronic auto inflammatory disease with regular acute flares which causes severe
pain and joint inflammation. It mainly occurs due to high content of uric acid in the blood, this
leads to accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints and surrounding tissues that causes
inflammation. It is a type of arthritis that affects the common joints such as big toe, ankle and
knee.
Causes of Gout:
It is caused by excess uric acid in the body that leads to the development of monosodium
urate crytal depositsin the joints.
Uric acid is a natural waste product that generates from the foods that contain purines. In a
normal person uric acid is flushed out through the kidneys and passes out in urine. If you
consume foods which are high in purine, your body sometimes cannot get rid of this by-
product and uric acid will build up in the blood. When the level of uric acid is high it is known
as hyperuricemia and it may lead tothe gout.
Gout is caused by different factors such as diet, genetics, obesity, stress, high
consumption of
alcohol, medications. It also happens with people who have other healthy issues like
diabetics, heart failure, kidneyproblems,and hypertension.
Theextra uric acid forms crystals that are sharp and pokeycauses joint painand swelling.
Symptoms of gout:
 Apart from inflammation, swelling and pain, acute gout attacks very fast with
intense joint pain within 8 to 12 hours.
 Gout first occurs in legs or feet and often affects a single joint mainly the
joint of big toe.
 You may find redness in the skin over a joint.
 Might experience mild fever and chills
 You may have pain in your backand side
 Goutmay also cause kidneystones.
 Lumps of urate crystal deposits formed underthe skin.
How is gout
diagnosed?

2. Your doctorwill ask to do few tests like
Joint fluid tests: a fluid sample is taken from the affected joint and examined under a
microscope
to find the urate crystals. Some infections may have similar symptoms like gout, in such
cases,the doctormay checkfor bacteria in joint fluid.
Blood test: blood test is done to find out the level of uric acid in the blood. Sometimes these
tests are confusing because some patients may have high uric acid level and they never
experienced gout. And for some patients they have symptoms of gout but they do not have
high level of uric acid.
X.ray imaging: x rays helpin findingout if thereis any otherinflammationin the joints.
Ultrasound and CT scan: this technique is used to detect urate crystal in the joint or in a
tophus.
Treatment for gout:
Acute gout will last within 3 to 10 days with or without medicines. Some may get only once in
their lifetime and some may get repeatedly due to their change in diet or any other health
issues. For acute gout, medicines are given to reduce inflammation and pain because they
do not have any high uric acid levels. If the level of gout is high then long term medication is
must to maintain the uric acidlevels.
For acute level of gout
 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication isgiven.
 To relieve from pain and inflammation oral medication- Colchicines is given.
 Hydration
For life time chronic gout:
 Need to do lifestyle modifications by avoiding alcohol, reducing protein
intake, reduceweightif you are obese.
 Long term medications are given to maintain uric acid level in blood. You
may sometimes need to continue medicines even if your gout is better
because there can be low lying inflammation between attacks. The crystal
deposits can become big in size and eventually become hard and it may
damage the joint. So the medicines will help you to maintain the uric acid
levels.

3. Prevention of gout:
To treat and prevent acute gout, medication is the most effective way that can prevent
recurrent attacks. However, by making certain lifestyle changes may help in prevention of
gout such as Completely avoid alcohol, avoid cool drinks and juices with sugar, Instead high
intakeoffluidsand water will
help. Reduce intake of foods which are high in
purines like red meat and sea foods. Exercise regularly and maintaina healthyweight.
Conclusion:
Gout is a serious and painful problem which cannot be cured completely. It is a long term
disease that can only be controlled with the combination of medicines to control the uric
acid level and anti inflammation drugs to control the flare- up. By lowering the levels of uric
acid in the blood most people do not develop the fourth and most disabling stage of the
disease.