Gout, called the king of disease, is a disease that can occur regardless of age or occupation, and the pain is so severe that it is difficult to sleep. Let's find out the cause of gout and the initial symptoms of gout.
What is gout?
Gout is a disease caused by excessive accumulation of a substance called uric acid that cannot escape from the body. It is called gout because the wind caused by other people passing by also causes pain. Gout is a disease in which uric acid crystals (uric acid exists in the form of uric acid in the blood, body fluid, and joint fluid) are deposited in cartilage, tendons, and surrounding tissues of the joint as the concentration of uric acid in the blood increases.
It causes inflammation of the joints and causes recurrent seizures with very severe pain, and deposition of the gout nodule (tophi) by urate determination leads to joint deformation and disability. In addition to joints, various kidney diseases and uric acid can cause kidney stones (nephrolithiasis).
a cause of gout
The older you are, and the higher your blood uric acid concentration, the more likely you are to develop it. Uric acid is the product of the body's metabolism of a substance called purin, which is consumed through food, and it exists in the form of urates in blood, joint fluid, and body fluid.
If the concentration of uric acid in the blood exceeds a certain level, it is called hyperuricemia, which is divided into cases where uric acid is overproduced and uric acid excretion is reduced.
Gout patients are almost male and experience their first seizure arthritis at the age of nearly 40 to 50. It was once known as a rich disease of eating good food and drinking alcohol, but these days, it occurs regardless of class as the diet becomes richer.
symptoms of gout
Gout goes through four typical stages: 1) asymptomatic hyperuricemia, 2) acute gout arthritis, 3) intermittent gout, and 4) chronic nodular gout.
From the initial symptoms of gout, joints such as the big toe, ankle, and knee suddenly swell red. It's accompanied by untouchable pain.
Second, severe gout is accompanied by fever and chills. The third is that arthritis usually disappears and seems to have recovered on its own over several days at first, but it does not develop for a considerable period of time and eventually occurs again.
Fourth, it is characterized by inflammation of the joints of the big toe, and arthritis occurs in the knees, feet, ankles, wrists, and elbows.
Fifth, it hurts just by brushing against the thin blanket, so I can't wear socks and walk properly.
Sixth, I can't sleep, especially at night because the pain gets worse.
If gout is not treated, the frequency of seizure arthritis becomes more frequent, the number of joints invading increases, and the recovery time increases. Arthritis occurs repeatedly and the joints are gradually damaged. Arthritis develops into chronic disease.
Also, a mass called a gout nodule appears around the joint or in the subcutaneous tissue. These gout nodules are a mass of uric acid crystals that can occur in any part of the body. It usually occurs on the elbows, ears, fingers, toes, ankles, etc. It also forms urolithiasis.
Diagnosis and examination of gout
Gout can be checked by a doctor. Afterwards, it is diagnosed by blood tests or by extracting joint fluid and observing it under a microscope. Use X-ray or dual-energy CT scans as a supplementary.
Joint lubricants can be tested to extract the lubricant from the joint with a syringe to confirm uric acid crystals under a microscope.
Serum uric acid concentration is checked and measured by blood test, and high uric acidemia can be determined if it is usually 7.0 mg/dL or more.
a cure for gout
The treatment varies slightly at each stage of gout.
The first is to treat asymptomatic hyperuricemia.
There is no clear evidence that hyperuricemia is a direct and important factor in causing gout-related diseases. It is important to improve lifestyle habits related to obesity, hyperlipidemia, alcoholism, and high blood pressure.
Treatment of acute gout arthritis should be stabilized and treatment should be started as soon as possible when symptoms occur. Acute gout seizures can effectively relieve symptoms by drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, and colchicine. If you start treatment quickly, symptoms can improve quickly and effectively, so it is recommended that you start taking medication immediately if you have a gout attack.
Prevent gout attacks during intermittent periods.
Taking a small amount of colchine daily can very effectively prevent acute gout attacks. After 3 to 6 months of preventive use, you can stop taking colchine, but acute gout attacks may worsen.
Prophylactic use of colchine can stop acute inflammatory reactions, but does not remove uric acid crystals accumulated in tissues, so there is a possibility of cartilage and bone destruction without warning symptoms such as acute pain.
The treatment method for chronic nodular gout is to prevent uric acid from being deposited in tissues and to normalize the concentration of uric acid by controlling hyperuricemia using anti uric acid hemolysis drugs. Uric acid excretion promoters such as allopurinol and probenecid are mainly used.
Progress and complications of gout
Gout goes through four typical stages: asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute gout arthritis, intermittent gout, and chronic nodular gout. Untreated gout patients have a second seizure within six months to two years of the first acute gout attack, followed by a gradual onset and more severe invasion of joints.
The production of gout nodules occurs slowly, and even with less pain, stiffness and persistent pain in the affected joints often occur, resulting in extensive damage to the joints and deformities of the hands and feet. High concentrations of blood uric acid can cause stones in the kidneys and side pain. Ten to 40 percent of gout patients suffer from more than one kidney pain.
How to Prevent Gout
It is important to use appropriate drugs for preventive purposes according to the doctor's prescription, and weight control, abstinence from drinking, and refraining from overeating help prevent gout attacks.
Eating high-protein foods increases uric acid production in the body, but the effect of the currently used anti-uricemia drug is very good, so no special diet is required. However, it is important to lose weight and not eat too much, and it is also important to abstain from drinking.
Failure to lose weight can lead to gout attacks because the concentration of uric acid changes rapidly. In addition, if you drink a lot of alcohol suddenly, temporary hyperuricemia occurs while you are drunk, and hyperuricemia worsens. Drinking for a long time can also worsen gout.
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