The first symptom most gout sufferers feel is the pins and needles sensation that is normally associated with your foot “falling asleep”. This can be linked to gout's association with poor blood flow to the limbs.

The next common sign is the appearance of swelling and inflammation in the foot. Sometimes there is a distinct redness to the joint, other times there is only the swelling.

The final symptom to show is usually the excruciating pain associated with gout. Your toe (or other joints that have been infected) will progress to the point where anything touching it will cause extreme pain, even a blanket.

At this point, most of us would be off to the doctor's office for a diagnosis. Most of the medical tests that you would undergo in a doctors office revolve around measuring the amount of uric acid you have in your body. Uric acid is the nasty little chemical that you need in your body, but when levels get too high, gout can result. The tests are broken down like this:

• A urine test. A doctor will collect a urine sample and then test if for higher than normal levels of uric acid.

• A blood test. A doctor will withdraw blood to see if your uric acid levels are too high

• Joint fluid removal. Definitely the most painful of the three options, a doctor will insert a needle into the joint that is swollen and infected to see if either a high level or uric acid is present or if the small crystals associated with gout are present. It's suggested that this test be a last resort.

If the doctor confirms the presence of gout, you're now left with the problem of how to treat it. There are many old-fashioned treatments available for gout, but the newest and fastest way is actually with whey protein.

Whey protein has been on the forefront of all-natural medicine for years, and more and more doctors are beginning to see the benefit. High-quality whey protein (not the stuff bodybuilders use during their workouts, this whey protein is of a much higher quality) is filled with protein and amino acids.

Why is this important for gout sufferers? Whey protein contains high amounts of lactoferrin, which helps the body heal faster. The high amount of amino acids in whey protein also help push the body towards optimum health quickly so that the immune system can take on and beat the gout faster and easier.

While there is no cure-all for gout, medical science is on the march looking for possible new treatments all the time. The discovery of whey protein's rejuvenating affects on the human body are a step in the right direction towards eliminating gout once and for all.