What Is Gout?

Gout is a common and painful type of arthritis. It happens when uric acid builds up in your blood and forms sharp crystals in your joints. These crystals cause sudden, intense pain, swelling, and redness. Gout most often affects the big toe, but it can occur in other joints like your ankles, knees, wrists, and fingers.

What Causes Gout?

Gout is caused by too much uric acid in your blood. Your body makes uric acid when it breaks down purines, which are natural substances found in certain foods and drinks. Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood, passes through your kidneys, and leaves your body in urine.

When your body makes too much uric acid or your kidneys don't remove enough of it, uric acid builds up. This buildup forms needle-like crystals in your joints, causing the painful symptoms of gout.

Risk Factors

Several things can raise your risk of getting gout. Eating foods high in purines, like red meat, organ meats, and certain seafood, can increase uric acid levels. Drinking alcohol, especially beer, and sugary drinks also raises your risk. Being overweight, having high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease can make gout more likely. Men are three times more likely than women to develop gout.

Symptoms of Gout

Gout attacks often start suddenly, usually at night. You may wake up with intense pain in your big toe or another joint. The affected joint becomes swollen, red, and warm to the touch. Even light pressure, like a bedsheet touching your toe, can feel very painful. The worst pain usually happens within the first 12 to 24 hours.

How Long Does Gout Last?

Without treatment, a gout attack typically lasts 7 to 14 days. With proper treatment, most people feel better within 3 to 7 days. The pain usually peaks in the first day or two, then slowly gets better. After the attack ends, your joint should return to normal.

Treatment Options

Doctors treat gout attacks with medicines that reduce pain and swelling. These include anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, colchicine, and corticosteroids. For long-term management, medicines like allopurinol help lower uric acid levels and prevent future attacks.

Lifestyle changes also help manage gout. Limiting foods high in purines, reducing alcohol and sugary drinks, staying hydrated, and maintaining a healthy weight can all lower your risk of gout attacks.

When to See a Doctor

See a doctor if you have sudden, severe joint pain, especially if the joint is red, swollen, and warm. Early treatment can help relieve pain faster and prevent joint damage. If left untreated, gout can lead to permanent joint damage and other health problems like kidney stones.