Gout is an old and old disease known from medicine. The first reports were made by Hippocrates in the fifth century BC Even though it is so old, it is estimated that currently 2% of the population suffers from this problem that mostly affects adult men aged 30 to 50 years, but also affects women usually after menopause.
What is gout?
Gout is a rheumatologic, metabolic and inflammatory disease, characterized by the increase in blood uric acid levels, which causes sodium crystals to deposit in tissues and joints generating secondary and uncomfortable acute arthritis crises.
The increase in uric acid rates, the so-called hyperukemia does not necessarily mean that the person has gout. This only occurs with 20% of hyperukemics.
What causes gout?
The disease can occur either by excessive production of uric acid or by inefficiency in the elimination of the substance by the body.
In the first case, there may be some enzymatic failure that causes the body to produce an amount of uric acid that the kidneys cannot eliminate, but this is less common.
In the second case, there may be a congenital absence in the enzymatic mechanism responsible for the elimination of uric acid by the kidneys. When this does not occur perfectly, the acid concentration in the blood increases.
Gout can also be classified as primary when the cause is unknown and genetically linked, which is more common, or secondary when it develops due to another Gout-associated disease such as anemia, leukemia, psoriasis, kidney failure, high blood pressure. , hypothyroidism, among others, or due to medications such as diuretics, aspirin, warfarin, among others.
Alcohol intake may also be associated with hyperukemia, which may trigger Gout.
What are the symptoms of Gout?
In most cases, Gout usually presents as a joint inflammation that causes a large swelling and severe pain, usually in the big toe. This first seizure lasts an average of a week, but it goes on and the patient lives back to normal, and that's where the problem lies. As everything returns to normal, the person stops seeking medical advice, which only happens when a new crisis occurs, which can take months and even years.
The second seizure may affect the same joints or expand to other joints, but if treatment is not done, the interval between seizures tends to shrink and the seizure intensity to increase and may even compromise and deform. the joints.
How is the diagnosis made?
The diagnosis is made by identifying crystals of uric acid in the fluid taken from the joint. Without this identification, it is not possible to diagnose Gout before ruling out other diseases.
Another technique is to confirm the presence of tophi? conglomerates of uric acid crystals? present in tissues such as the edge of the ear, the tip of the nose and the surface of the joints.
Normal blood uric acid levels are 3.4? 7.0mg / dL for adult men and 2.4? 6.0mg / dL for adult women. But simply increasing these rates does not mean diagnosing Gout.
How is the treatment of Gout done?
In most cases, Gout occurs due to failures in the production and elimination of uric acid, genetic problems that have no definitive treatment. Therefore, what you can do is follow guidelines, diets, treat associated diseases, and administer medicines that lower blood uric acid rates to prevent gout attacks.
If you have any evidence of gout as well as cases in the family, it is best to consult a doctor to make the diagnosis and receive the appropriate treatment.
Remember that Gout is not a serious disease, but is associated with others such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, so it is always good to be aware.
What’s Really Causing Your Gout? (May 2024)
- Prevention and Treatment
- 1,230
