Gout
Also called: Gouty arthritis
National Institutes of Health
Gout is a common, painful form of arthritis. It causes swollen, red, hot and stiff joints.
Gout happens when uric acid builds up in your body. Uric acid comes from the breakdown of substances called purines. Purines are in your body's tissues and in foods, such as liver, dried beans and peas, and anchovies. Normally, uric acid dissolves in the blood. It passes through the kidneys and out of the body in urine. But sometimes uric acid can build up and form needle-like crystals. When they form in your joints, it is very painful. The crystals can also cause kidney stones.
Often, gout first attacks your big toe. It can also attack ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. At first, gout attacks usually get better in days. Eventually, attacks last longer and happen more often.
You are more likely to get gout if you
- Are a man
- Have family member with gout
- Are overweight
- Drink alcohol
- Eat too many foods rich in purines
Gout can be hard to diagnose. Your doctor may take a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for crystals. You can treat gout with medicines.
Pseudogout has similar symptoms and is sometimes confused with gout. However, it is caused by calcium phosphate, not uric acid.
NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Uric Acid Test
(National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
- Gripped by Gout: Avoiding the Ache and Agony (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish
- Joint Injection/Aspiration (American College of Rheumatology)Also in Spanish
- NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) (American College of Rheumatology)Also in Spanish
- Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD) (American College of Rheumatology)
- Diuretics and Gout: What's the Connection? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
- Glucosamine: Can It Worsen Gout Symptoms? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)Also in Spanish
- Gout and Pseudogout (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
- Genetics Home Reference: gout (National Library of Medicine)
- Genetics Home Reference: phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase superactivity (National Library of Medicine)
- Genetics Home Reference: REN-related kidney disease (National Library of Medicine)
- Genetics Home Reference: uromodulin-associated kidney disease (National Library of Medicine)
- Gout (Logical Images)
- Arthritis by the Numbers: Book of Trusted Facts & Figures (Arthritis Foundation) - PDF
- Gout (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Chondrocalcinosis (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Gout (National Institutes of Health)
- Find a Rheumatologist (American College of Rheumatology)
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish
- Calcium pyrophosphate arthritis (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Gout (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Uric acid - blood (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
- Uric acid - urine (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
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