Friday, August 10, 2007



A Simple Guide To Gout

What is Gout?

Gout is a disease caused by the excessive uric acid in the blood.

Who get Gout?

Gout is often hereditary so even young adults are affected.

It occurs more commonly in men than in women.

How does it cause problems?

The uric acid in the blood is usually discharged from the body dissolved in the urine and the intestinal tract and sometimes as perspiration through the skin.

1. Gouty Arthritis

high concentration of uric acid in the blood caused the formation of needle shaped urate crystals which are deposited in and around joints thus causing pain and swelling.

2. Kidney stones

Deposits can also form in the kidney and urinary tract as urate crystals or stones.

3. Skin urate trophi

Some urate crystals are also deposited in the skin, mostly commonly at the earlobe and joints.

What are the symptoms of Gouty Arthritis?

The symptoms of gouty arthritis are usually of sudden onset.

They are:

1. pain

2. swelling

3. pain

4. joint feels hot

Where does gouty arthritis attack?

These are the most common joints affected by Gout:

1. Big toe 76%

2. Ankle 50%

3. Knee 32%

4. Fingers 25%

5.Elbow 10%

6. Other Joints 2%

How do I prevent Gout?

1. Drinks lots of fluids(at least 8 glasses of water a day).

This will help to excrete the uric acid through the urine and dilute the uric acid

concentration in the blood.

2. Avoid food which can produce high levels of uric acid. These are high protein foods such as:

Animal organs -liver,kidneys, intestines,brain

Seafood - especially prawns, crabmeat, lobsters, cockleshells, fish roes

Bean products- beancurds, soya beans,bean sprouts, peanuts

Alcohol - cause dehydration in the blood raising the concentration of uric acid.

3. Avoid fasting and starvation - again this raises the concentration of uric acid in the blood.

Obesity should be slowly reduced. The over-weight body affects the joints.

4. Avoid certain drugs like diuretic which reduces the volume of water in the blood and

raises the concentration of uric acid.

5. Take medications like allopurinol which help to reduce the production of uric acid.

How to treat an acute attack of Gouty arthritis?

1. Take medicine like probenecid or cochicine which helps to flush the uric acid out through the urinary tract.

2. Drinks lots of water (eg. 3 glasses of water) immediately during an acute attack.

3. Rest the joint. If the the big toe is affected, raise it above the heart level to help the blood flow.

What are the Complications of Gout?

1. Kidney stones may develop in the kidneys or urinary tract causing pain and damage to the kidneys.

2. Recurrent attacks of gout may erode the surfaces of the joint resulting in permanent damage.