An ancient disease, gout is a chronic type of inflammatory arthritis that causes immediate attacks of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling in some joints. Usually, the joints in the big toe are affected, but gout can also affect the instep, ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers and elbows.
Once believed to be the result of gluttony, gout is now known to affect people from all walks of life and often the disease is inherited. Less than one in ten women will develop gout. About 500,000 people have gout in the United States, with most being men between the ages of 30 and 60. Gout accounts for about 5 percent of all cases of arthritis.
Gout is caused when there is over production of uric acid in normal purine metabolism in the body. Genetics can play a role in who develops gout. It can also occur as a complication of other conditions. Some people inherit the inability to process uric acid and lose it in the urine. High blood levels of uric acid in turn causes sodium monourate crystals to collect in the joint fluid and joint coverings leading to gout, a painful stiff swollen joint.There are many reasons why an episode of gout will appear, including drinking too much alcohol or eating certain kinds of food rich in purines such as seafood, beans, sweetbreads, gravies and anchovies.
Other potential triggers of gout include:
- Surgery
- Stress
- Crash diets
- Sudden, severe illness
- Chemotherapy
- Joint injury
- High blood pressure
- Excessive exercise.
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