Sunday, April 8, 2012

Gout: How Do I Know I Have It?

Gout is more prevalent in men who are older than forty, and women who are menopausal. A gout lesson typically occurs while the night, and will be accompanied by severe pain and swelling of the affected joint, within twelve to twenty-four hours. These episodes can last upwards of five to ten days. The exact cause of Gout is unknown, but many doctors and scientists intuit that it could have to do with a genetic flaw within the metabolism causing an overproduction and retention of uric acid, kidney impairment preventing general elimination of uric acid, environmental factors like obesity, a purine-rich diet or alcohol abuse, diseases of the blood cells, obvious cancers, or the use of water pills.

Trigger Finger Surgery

Episodes of gout are typically triggered by the consumption of too much alcohol, surgery, a sudden or severe illness, injury to a joint, chemotherapy, eating too many of the wrong foods, or surgery.

There are typically four stages that occur with Gout: The Asymptomatic Stage, Acute Stage, Intercritical Stage and the lasting Stage. The Asymptomatic stage is marked by a rise in urate levels in the blood, but no symptoms are honestly present at this time. The Acute stage is the stage where symptoms begin to appear, in the form of sudden attacks of joint pain, swelling, and a dusty or bruised appearance. The symptoms ordinarily last between five and ten days. The Intercritical stage is marked by symptom free intervals wedged between episodes of Gout. It takes most population around six months to two years before they have other lesson of gout, but there are others who remain symptom-free for up to ten years. The lasting stage is marked by persistently painful joints that form large deposits of urate in the cartilage, joint stiffness and puny motion of the affected joint.

Doctors diagnose Gout based on the symptoms that are presented, as well as blood tests that show high levels of uric acid where there should not be, and the seeing of urate crystals growing in joint fluid. There is damage to the cartilage and bones on the x-rays of population with lasting gout.

Approximately 75% of the first attacks occur in the big toe, but other joints together with the ankle, heel, knee, instep, elbow, fingers and spine can also be affected.

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