Symptoms of gout
Gout is a disease (a type of arthritis) that is caused by the concentration of uric acid crystals in the joints and especially in the toes. This concentration of uric acid crystals in the joints will cause the bone and the nerve structure to be separated, so that the tissues in the surrounding are will get inflamed and swollen. It is a very painful disease that has no known cure. Also, gout does not have a lot of precursors except elevated uric acid levels. This means that you can go to bed perfectly healthy one night and wake up in the morning with painful swelling and inflammation in your toes, elbows, knees or ankles.
There are no clear causes of gout, although there are several symptoms that will help you recognize gout easily. Even though, there are still lots of unknowns about gout, there has been extensive documentation throughout history concerning it. In fact, it is possible to find references to gout, back as far as the time of Hippocrates. Thus now, it is very easy to recognize the symptoms of gout.
The first and the most major symptom of gout will be the inflammation in the area of the joint affected. The inflammation in the area will cause the second symptom, namely the swelling of the effected joint. In fact, this swelling can be easily separable from other types of swelling, as the area may swell more than 3 times the usual size of the joint. The swelling along with the inflammation will cause a great deal of pain as the surrounding tissue and even your bones will become extremely sensitive. This in turn will cause much pain that will not subside easily. In fact, even the weight of a bed sheet may cause you great discomfort and pain.
Of course, it is possible to mistake regular arthritis for gout. However, one major difference of gout is that it will onset suddenly and you won’t feel it coming, while regular arthritis will take time to happen. Gout is usually found in males more than females. Also in some cases of gout, the disease will not affect the joints, but rather the uric acid crystals will concentrate and inflame the skin in certain areas like the surface of the hands, the rims of the ears and the back of the elbows. In some cases, there may be white lesions accompanied by swelling and redness in those areas. These can also be the symptoms of gout and these white lesions are called tophi by the doctors. In any case, if you are exhibiting the symptoms stated above that affects your joints, then you should definitely visit your doctor for immediate diagnosis. Although, the symptoms of gout may pass away on their own, untreated gout can lead to chronic cases. |
