Gout, an old disease

When one of my friends contacted me about her teenage son was diagnosed with Gout, I had to be honest I did not know anything about Gout. I did however, think it was only a middle-aged man's problem. She was confused about the treatment and had been told only to limit his red meat intake. So I started my research. Read on the find out what I discovered about Gout. What it is and who it actually does affect and how to treat it.

I was surprised to learn that Gout is one of the oldest diseases recorded in medical literature. It is also one of the most frequently recorded disease through out history. It was considered to be a disease of the wealthy because it was believed that eating rich food and drinking alcohol caused it. It is actually a form of arthritis and the main symptom is tenderness in joints. Mainly the big toe. Which may sound kind of funny, but it is said to be terribly painful. And, it does affect mainly men over the age of 40, although, it also affects women past menopause. Now that we have some history and the individuals at risk, let's examine what it is.

Gout is caused by excess uric acid in the body. These uric acid crystals are deposited in the joints and cause inflammation. It is usually an acute attack. Characterized by severe pain and swelling in the affected joint. Simply put the problem is that your body either produces too much uric acid or fails to get rid of it properly. In most cases the problem is in the elimination of uric acid not the production. Gout is usually not life threatening, but it can be associated with some serious diseases. Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and kidney diseases are more common in people who have Gout. Kidney stones occur in somewhere between 10 and 40 percent of people who have Gout. Next, let's examine how it's diagnosed, what are the long-term effects and treatments for this disease.

The diagnosis is relatively simple, after a medical history and exam fluid is drawn from the affected joint and examined to see if uric acid crystals are present. Blood tests can also be done to check for excess uric acid. Normal levels of uric acid in the blood are below 7 milligrams per deciliter. When it gets higher the crystals form. However, there are many factors that affect when a person actually starts forming the crystals and develops Gout. Before we move on to dietary factors let's examine the treatment of this disease.

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