What is Gout? Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Methods

Have Friends of Hermina ever felt unbearable joint pain, especially in the joints of the fingers and toes? It could be that you have gout. This disease is often considered trivial, even though its impact can really interfere with daily activities. Let's find out more about gout, starting from the causes, symptoms, and how to treat it.

 

What is gout?

Gout is a type of inflammation of the joints that occurs due to the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint space. Uric acid itself is a waste product from the breakdown of purines, substances found in several types of food and drinks.

Normally, uric acid will dissolve in the blood and be excreted from the body through urine with the help of the kidneys. However, under certain conditions, the body produces too much uric acid, or the kidneys are unable to remove it effectively, so uric acid accumulates and forms crystals in the joints.

The reason is, gout will attack all joints. However, there are several areas that are most often affected, namely the fingers, knees, ankles, and toes.

It is also important to know that gout is often confused with rheumatism, even though rheumatism is a general term for pain due to inflammation of joints or muscles, while gout, the specific cause, is joint pain.

 

Symptoms of Gout

Gout attacks often come on suddenly, especially at night, and can cause unbearable pain. Gout pain can last 3-10 days, with symptoms developing rapidly in the first few hours. Therefore, it is important for you to know some of the symptoms, such as:

1. Intense Pain

The pain is often most severe in the big toe but can also affect other joints such as the ankles, knees, elbows, and fingers. This pain is often described as throbbing, burning, or stabbing.

2. Swelling and Redness

When gout attacks a joint, the area usually swells, becomes red, and feels warm. Swelling can spread to surrounding tissue. Sufferers may also experience fever, and the skin around the joints may be dry, scaly, and itchy.

3. Limited Movement

If gout symptoms are ignored for a long time, repeated inflammation can damage the joint structure, causing stiffness and limiting body movement. In addition, the buildup of uric acid in the skin around the joints can form hard lumps known as tophi.

4. Prolonged Discomfort

Even though the severe pain caused by gout has subsided, the affected area of ​​the body or joint will usually still feel sore, numb, and uncomfortable for several days or even weeks. In some situations, attacks of severe joint pain may return for a longer duration and involve more joints.

 

Causes of Gout

Gout can be caused by various factors, such as a high-purine diet and certain health problems. Here's the explanation:

1. Foods High in Purine

Purines are natural substances found in various types of food. When the body breaks down purines, uric acid is produced. Foods such as red meat, organ meats, seafood (especially shellfish and sardines), and sweet drinks high in fructose can increase uric acid levels.

2. Kidney Function Disorders

The kidneys play a role in filtering waste, including uric acid, from the blood and excreting it through urine. If its function decreases, uric acid can accumulate in the blood (hyperuricemia) and form sharp crystals in the joints, causing inflammation and pain due to gout. Kidney disorders are also a major risk factor for high uric acid.

3. Alcoholic Drinks

Alcoholic drinks contain high purines. Excessive consumption can increase uric acid levels in the blood, which then accumulates in the joints. In addition, the kidneys prioritize the elimination of alcohol so that uric acid is retained and crystallizes, triggering gout symptoms.

4. Excess weight

Being overweight can increase uric acid levels because fat cells also produce it. In addition, high insulin levels due to obesity can inhibit the kidneys from removing uric acid so that it accumulates and crystallizes in the joints.

5. Certain Health Conditions

Some medical conditions, such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes, can increase the risk of gout. If it is not handled properly, the possibility of gout will increase.

 

How to Prevent and Treat Gout

Apart from avoiding the factors that cause gout, adopting a healthy lifestyle and carrying out regular health screenings can also prevent the occurrence of gout.

Gout treatment can be done by administering medication that is adjusted by the doctor based on the severity of the patient's condition. These medicines function to relieve pain and prevent gout attacks that can occur in the future.

Apart from drug therapy, the doctor will also recommend lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a diet, controlling body weight, and increasing physical activity. These steps aim to help manage gout symptoms while reducing the risk of recurrence.

If the condition gets worse, such as with frequent gout attacks, or the symptoms do not improve even after undergoing treatment, Hermina Friends can immediately consult a specialist in internal medicine at Hermina Sukabumi Hospital to get more appropriate treatment.

 

Referensi :

Hansildaar, R., et al. (2021). Cardiovascular Risk In Inflammatory Arthritis: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout. The Lancet Rheumatology, 3(1), pp. e58e70.