Everyone is susceptible to the common and inflammatory form of arthritis known as gout. It is characterized by frequent discomfort, often on the big toe, and sudden, acute bouts of swelling, redness, and soreness in one or more joints.
What is Gout?
Gout attacks can be severe, waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that your big toe is on fire. The injured joint is heated, swollen, and so sensitive that even the weight of the bedsheet may feel unbearable.
Hyperuricemia, a condition when there is too much uric acid in the body, is one of the primary causes of gout. Purines, which are present in both your body and the foods you eat, are broken down by the body to produce uric acid. Uric acid crystals can accumulate in tissues, bodily fluids, and joints when there is an excess of the acid in the body.
What Are The Symptoms of Gout?
Gout can affect any joint, although it most frequently affects the toes, ankles, knees, and fingers, which are the joints closest to the ends of the limbs. Gout attacks can start unexpectedly and persist for days or even weeks. Before another flare starts, these flares are followed by extensive periods of remission lasting weeks, months, or even years.
These are the most common symptoms of gout:
- Pain & lingering discomfort
- Swelling
- Warmth
- Redness
