Treating your gout is vital. Patients who leave gout untreated experience ongoing pain and risk kidney damage. In order to treat gout, doctors will often recommend a two-pronged treatment plan—firstly to provide pain relief, and secondly to proactively prevent future attacks. Treatment plans for gout can include both medication and lifestyle changes to manage gout over the long-term. Let’s take a look at the methods often recommended to provide pain relief during a gout attack: NSAIDs Pain relief is imperative when a gout attack strikes. So anti-inflammatory drugs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce pain and swelling are often prescribed to the patient to take when early signs of an acute gout attack present themselves (within the first 24-hours). Colchicine This pain reliever is derived from plant extracts and should be taken in the first 24-hours of an acute gout attack, in order to decrease both pain and inflammation. Corticosteroids Several types of corticosteroids have proven effective for acute gout attack treatment. However, there are different types of corticosteroids to treat gout, and how they are administered differs per patient. For instance, ACTH (or adrenocorticotropic hormone) is a drug that is injected directly into a swollen joint and relieves pain by triggering the natural release of corticosteroids by the body.

Gout is often confused with other conditions, due to similarities in many of the symptoms (i.e., joint pain and inflammation). However, if you think you may have gout, you can expect your doctor to ask you a series of common questions during your initial appointment. With that in mind, here’s the information that you should be prepared to bring along to your medical appointment: The family history of gout: Do you or have you had a parent, sibling, or immediate relative with gout Symptoms: What are they, when did they start, and how often do they appear? Triggers: Have you identified what triggers your symptoms (i.e., illness, stress, diet)? Current health:  —Do you have any existing medical conditions, and what medications are you taking to treat them? Diet: What and how much do you eat and drink (i.e., alcohol) in a day/week? Do you take any vitamins, supplements, or over-the-counter medications (i.e., aspirin)? If your general physician expects that you may have gout, he or she will likely refer you to a rheumatologist or an arthritis specialist. That specialist will likely complete one or a few of the following gout tests in order to rule out gout or determine a proper diagnosis:

Gout develops as a direct result of excess uric acid in the body. However, certain common factors or causes can contribute to increased uric acid levels—including family and medical history, existing conditions, weight, and diet. For instance, gout flare ups are often caused by the flare-up actors: Enzyme deficiency Individuals born with Kelley-Seegmiller syndrome (or Lesch-Nyhan syndrome) are deficient in the enzyme, xanthine oxidase. As a result, they have increased uric acid levels, because this enzyme is responsible for catalyzing the formation of uric acid and keeping gout at bay. Existing medical issues Patients with existing medical conditions—such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and heart disease—or those who have experienced rapid weight loss may be more susceptible to gout. In addition, recent trauma or surgery patients face a greater overall risk of developing gout. Certain medications If you’re a long-term user of niacin, diuretics (to treat hypertension), or aspirin, you may be at risk of gout because your uric acid concentration is higher. In addition, anti-rejection drugs for organ transplant patients can also increase gout risk. Age and gender According to research from the Mayo Clinic, gout is more common in male patients, as compared to female patients, due to the simple fact that men have higher uric acid levels compared to women.

As with many health conditions, the signs and symptoms of gout vary from patient to patient. For instance, gout can develop in regular gout attacks that strike and gradually diminish for days, weeks, or months at a time. However, some patients experience gout on a constant and chronic basis. Due to the fact that gout symptoms often mimic other conditions, particularly arthritis, gout can often be misdiagnosed . The most common signs and symptoms of gout are: Appearance of nodules Prior to a patient’s first gout attack, nodules, or what’s medically known as tophi, can develop on the affected joint (fingers, toes, elbows, hands, or ears). These nodules typically appear in chalky or yellowish lumps of accumulated gout crystals under the skin, before any of the other common symptoms of a gout attack appear. Pain The most telltale sign of gout is a joint pain (medically referred to as podagra), particularly in the big toe. This joint pain can also strike the wrists, fingers, elbows, ankles, or knee joints, and the surrounding tissues. This pain is due to inflammation, which causes the big toe joint to become extremely sensitive to even the slightest amount of pressure; thus significantly limiting the movement of the affected joint.

Gout, or hyperuricemia, is a condition that’s caused by the long-term buildup of uric acid crystals in the bodily tissues and joints. What results from this buildup is painful inflammation that’s characterized as a type of arthritis that strikes in what’s known as a gout attack. Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia). The exact cause of gout is a mystery, although many doctors believe it is an inherited condition. When a gout attack occurs, it’s painful due to inflammation in a joint (typically the big toe) or surrounding tissues – causing symptoms of redness, swelling, stiffness, and burning heat. Gout attacks are recurrent. Even though they will gradually subside, patients will experience them repeatedly, and they can cause permanent damage to joints and surrounding tissues if left untreated. Many patients experiencing their first gout attack are misdiagnosed with joint sprain or tendinitis. Gout attacks usually strike during the nighttime, with a mild pain that gradually worsens. What’s considered a mild gout attack can cease swelling, pain, burning, redness, and stiffness after a few hours. However, patients experiencing mild gout attacks have reported symptoms lasting for up to 2 days in duration. Most mild gout attacks cease all symptoms after a week.