Often Experiencing Pain in Joints, Be Careful of Signs of Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. All joints in the body are at risk of gout, but the joints most often affected are the fingers, knees, ankles and toes. The initial symptoms of gout are generally characterized by pain in the joint area, so it is often difficult to differentiate from rheumatism. Apart from often causing pain in the joints, gout sufferers will also usually experience a burning sensation and even swelling of the joints. Generally, gout attacks more easily among men and those over 30 years of age. 


Causes of Gout 

Uric acid is a compound produced by the body to break down purines. Purine is a natural substance that has several important functions for the human body. One of them is regulating cell growth and providing energy for the body. At the end of the process, when it is no longer used by the body, uric acid will be excreted through urine. However, sometimes the body produces excess uric acid due to consuming foods high in purine. When this happens, uric acid can build up, forming sharp, needle-like urate crystals in the joints or surrounding tissue that cause pain, inflammation and even swelling. 


Symptoms of Gout 

There are several early symptoms of gout, including: 

    Sudden joint pain or tenderness 

    Difficulty walking due to ankle pain, especially at night 

    The pain will develop quickly within a few hours and is accompanied by severe pain, swelling, burning and a reddish color appearing on the skin of the joint. 

    When the pain symptoms subside and the swelling has gone down, the skin around the affected joint will appear scaly, peel and feel itchy.

How to Treat Gout 

Even though the initial symptoms of gout can subside on their own, further treatment must still be carried out to prevent the risk of recurrence with increasing and worsening levels of symptoms. Gout is treated by administering gout medication. The medicines given function to relieve pain while preventing gout from recurring. Apart from that, implementing a healthy lifestyle is also recommended to prevent repeated attacks, one of which is by reducing foods that can trigger an increase in uric acid such as offal, red meat, processed meat, sweet drinks and foods high in purine. 


Reference : 

Healthline. Accessed 2022. Natural Home Remedies for Gout.

Verywell Health. Accessed 2022. Using Natural Remedies for Gout