Gout also known as gouty arthritis is a sudden attack of pain in the joints of the feet and legs. It is a condition that occurs when deposits of uric acid accumulate in the joints. Gout has the unique peculiarity of being one of the most commonly recorded medical ailments throughout history. It is often a condition that develops due to an inherited irregularity in the body’s capacity to process uric acid. Uric acid is a product formed by breaking down of purines that are an essential component of many foods we eat. An irregularity in handling uric acid causes gout attacks, kidney stones, and blockage of the kidney filtering tubules with uric acid crystals. This may eventually lead to kidney failure. However, some patients may only develop increased levels of uric acid in the blood, a condition known as hyperuricemia. The term “gout” usually is used to indicate the painful attacks of arthritis.
Gout is severely painful attack of arthritis accompanied by a swift commencement of joint inflammation and soreness. The inflammation of joint is aggravated due to the deposits of uric acid crystals in the synovial fluid and the synovial lining. An acute condition of joint inflammation occurs since the white blood cells overwhelm the crystals of uric acid and discharge chemicals of inflammation. This causes pain, heat, and redness of the joint tissues. The small joint at the base of the big toe is commonly affected when a patient suffers from a gout attack. Other joints that can be affected by such an attack are the knees, ankles, wrists, elbows and fingers. These attacks are marked by a swift beginning of pain in the affected joints. The pain is associated with swelling, a feeling of warmth, reddish discoloration, and marked tenderness. Tenderness can be so acute that even a blanket gliding over the skin of the affected joint can be intolerable. Patients may even develop fever with the gout attacks. These painful attacks usually last for hours or days or in some cases, even weeks.
Gout is characterized by the deposition of uric acid crystals in tiny fluid-filled sacs called bursae. These sacs are located around the joints and the presence of such urate crystals in them can rouse the beginning of inflammation thus leading to pain and swelling around the joints. This condition is termed as bursitis. In chronic gouty arthritis, nodular uric acid crystals deposit in different soft tissue of the body. These tophi commonly develop as hard nodules around the fingers, at the tips of the elbows, and around the big toe. In some rare cases, they may appear in areas such as ears, vocal cords or the spinal cord. Gout is thus a condition that causes extreme pain and a persistent feeling of discomfort to the patient.
