Gout Symptoms

Gout is a disease that a lot of people don’t know too much about, yet over 5 million people in the United States alone have this type of inflammatory arthritis. It was once thought to be a disease of the wealthy, as only people with a lot of money could afford the rich food and drink that is said to be one of the causes of someone developing gout in their lifetime. It has even been called “The Disease of Kings” because of the common idea that rich people usually eat like kings!

It takes awhile for gout to develop in the human body. Uric acid crystals, , build up in and around the tissues that cradle your joints. These purines are also normally found in the tissues of our bodies. Gout is not always caused from the consumption of too many foods which contain purines, such as meat and alcoholic beverages, though many people think this is a fact. Some people simply make more uric acid than others.

Even then, most of these people do not come down with gout! A lot has to do with how your body handles the amount of uric acid that is in your blood. No two people are alike. What could cause one person to be stricken with an attack of gout may not necessarily cause another to do suffer with it as well. Men seem to be more affected by gout than women, though women can of course have the disease, too.

What are the symptoms of gout? They include –

• A tingling or numb feeling that is not always just in the joint. This is one of the first signs of gout you may become aware of.

• Pain is the main symptom most gout sufferers would want to tell you about. It has been said that gout is one of the most painful, if not THE most painful condition known to man. It rivals broken bones and childbirth in its intensity. This pain is in the joints – usually in the big toe – but also seen in the feet themselves. The knees, ankles, wrists and hands can also be affected by the pain of gout.

• Swelling, inflammation, redness, heat and tenderness in the joint that is affected by the gout. If the gout is in your big toe, it will be so tender and sensitive that not only will you be unable to wear your shoes, but the very light weight of a bed sheet lying on your toe will cause intense pain.

• A sudden beginning of these symptoms is quite typical. Often, this happens in the middle of the night, and you are awakened by a pain that feels as if someone is sticking a knife into your flesh in the area of the affected joint.

• A return of the same symptoms that becomes more frequent over time, and seems to last a little longer during each flare of gout is also typical of this disease. Pain affecting the same joints and possibly adding in a few new ones, too is another sign that you are dealing with gout.

• Kidney stones seem to be more common and also more frequent in gout sufferers.

• A strange white or yellowish little bump appearing on one or more joints is a sure sign of gout. This is called a tophus, which is Latin for the word “stone”.  A tophus is uric acid that has crystallized beneath the skin. You see them when they break through the skin, normally on the fingers and toes, but sometimes on the ears, elbow, and ankles. They start out small, but can become larger and quite painful over time.

• Discoloration of the skin in the joint area is a symptom. It can be a very deep redness, or just a blush of color. The skin will also be shiny.

If you are having one or more of these symptoms of gout, check with a health care practitioner to see if you do indeed have gout.