Out with Gout

Gout is a common condition caused by uric acid crystals that are deposited in your joints.
Uric acid crystals are formed due to high levels of uric acid in the blood, these crystals are then deposited into joints.
Inflammation in response to these uric acid crystals in joints can result in joint pain and damage.
Around 1 in 100 to 1 in 20 people have gout. The number of people with gout also seems to be growing over time.

Gout can cause painful joints, stopping you from doing the things you usually do.
Over time, inflammation in response to the uric acid crystals deposited in your joints can result in long term joint damage.
Gout can also be associated with other health conditions like:
- obesity
- high blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- diabetes mellitus
Finding out you have gout can be a good trigger to have a check of your overall health

Yes, gout is highly treatable. We have known about gout for a long time and have several really good treatments to help.
Whether this is the first time you have gout or you have had gout for a while, a combination of managing flares when they happen, lifestyle changes and sometimes gout prevention medications can really help people with gout to have fewer flares and less joint damage.
This means less time worrying about gout and more time doing the things that you usually like to do.
Like any long term condition gout requires regular review with your doctor and adjustment of your management strategy to best manage your gout.

Uric acid is a normal waste product that your body makes from a substance called purines. Purines are in the cells of our body and lots of the food we eat.
The kidneys normally have an important role in removing excess uric acid from the blood.
High levels of uric acid in the blood is usually due to the kidneys not being able to remove excess uric acid, although intake of foods high in purines can play a role.

A flare of gout usually presents with a joint that is newly red, hot, swollen and painful. This is due to inflammation in response to the uric acid crystals in your joint.
Most people first encounter gout when they have a flare of gout. Usually one joint is affected, typically in the toes or lower limb.
Flares of gout are not always the same for everyone. Sometimes people can get a flare of gout in more than one joint, or in different joints to where they have experienced it before. Some people also experience pain in between flares of gout due ongoing inflammation in the joint.
Flares of gout can be brought on by many things including alcohol consumption, change of medication, dehydration, surgery or other illness.