Clearing up misunderstandings! Gout isn’t just a knee condition

Clearing up misunderstandings! Gout isn’t just a knee condition

When talking about gout, many people may understand. That this disease can only occur in the knee area. 

What causes gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis. It is caused by the body accumulating too much uric acid. Which precipitates and crystallizes inside the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. 

Gout can pass down through genetics and is more common in men over 40 and postmenopausal women.  

Most people think that occurs in the knee joint, which is a misunderstanding. Gout can occur in joints throughout the body and is most commonly found in the big toe joint, follow by the knee, ankle, wrist, and elbow.  
Some people have it in one joint, while others have it in many joints at the same time, depending on the duration of symptoms and inflammation.

Symptoms

It can be divide into 3 stages as follows:

1. Acute phase

  • Sudden pain, swelling, and redness in one joint, most commonly affecting the big toe. 

2. Rest period 

  • Joint pain comes and goes but doesn’t last long.
  • The joint pain started to become more frequent.

 
3. Chronic stage

  • Pain and swelling in multiple joints
  • Constant joint pain
  • There are lumps forming along the painful joints.

Chronic in this stage is cause by patients ยูฟ่าเบท not receiving proper treatment and having accumulate uric acid for more than 10 years.

Gout prevention 

  • Reduce foods that are high in uric acid, such as poultry and animal organs. Do not eat too much of these types of foods. 
  • Avoid alcoholic beverages because if the body cannot excrete them properly, the liver will create more uric acid. 
  • Drink enough water to help expel uric acid through the urine.
  • Maintain a healthy weight. Losing weight too quickly can increase uric acid levels.