What is gout?
When you suffer from gout, your purine metabolism is disturbed. As a result, uric acid builds up, causing uric acid crystals to form. These crystals end up in your joints and other tissues (for example, your skin, bursa, tendons and muscles). Because your white blood cells want to clear the crystals, an inflammatory response occurs. This is also called a gout attack. Sometimes such an attack goes away on its own, but in other cases it is about chronic gout.
What Causes Gout?
Uric acid is a toxic waste acid that is formed during purine metabolism. This substance is released during the breakdown of cells in the body. Purine is also released during the digestion of purine-containing foods. Organ meats, fish, shellfish and alcohol, for example, can trigger a gout attack. Do you quickly suffer from gout? Then it is better to leave it alone. Gout affects about seven out of every thousand people and the disease is more common in men than in women. In men, the first gout attack usually starts between the ages of 40 and 50, and in postmenopausal women, between the ages of 50 and 60.
What symptoms should you watch for?
A first gout attack often occurs at night, in the joints that have wear and tear. At such a time you may suffer from the following complaints:
An annoying feeling in your joint, which is painful, swollen, red and warm and the function of your joint is limited Chills Cramps Nausea, fatigue, nervousness and/or a strong urge to urinate Sometimes fever
What can you do about it?
If you have been diagnosed with gout by means of a blood test, there are various medicines that can reduce the symptoms of gout. For example, think of prednisone, diclofenac and ibuprofen. It is best to get advice from your doctor for this. The following tips can also help:
With gout in the leg it can be pleasant to elevate your leg. If the joint feels very warm, you can cool this joint. Put a wet cloth or some ice against it. Despite the pain, it’s good to keep moving. This prevents your muscles from becoming stiff
Bron: Radboud UMC
5 July 2023
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2023-07-05 12:58:00
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