Uric acid is typically dissolved in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But in people with gout, the excess uric acid can build up and form sharp crystals, which deposit in a joint and surrounding tissue. Gout typically affects the joint of the big toe, but it can strike joints in the hands, arms, legs, ankles, and feet, as well. The affected joint feels like someone set it on fire. Its hot, swollen, and so tender that even the weight of your blanket on it may be intolerable.
A number of factors may cause the body to produce too much uric acid or deter the kidneys from eliminating enough of it. Known risk factors of gout include:
Excess weight
Certain medical conditions, including high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, and elevated blood fat levels (hyperlipidemia)
Excessive alcohol intake
Excessive intake of foods high in purines
Certain medications, including some diuretics, low-dose aspirin, niacin, and the organ transplant antirejection drug cyclosporine
Surgery
Severe illness or injury
In some people, the crystals can form kidney stones (calculi). In others, the urate crystals may build up over several years and form large deposits called tophi in joints and nearby tissues. Deposits may also develop on the outer edge of the ear.
If you experience sudden pain in a joint, contact your doctor. Gout thats left untreated may result in increased pain and even joint damage. People who have gout should be assessed for other risks. Gout is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
To determine whether you have gout, your doctor may remove some synovial fluid from the affected joint to view it under the microscope. The presence of urate crystals in the sample can confirm a diagnosis of gout. It cannot be diagnosed by a blood test. Having hyperuricemia is not equivalent to having gout. Most patients with gout do have hyperuricemia, but not necessarily at the time of attack.
Preventive medications are generally recommended if you have frequent gout attacks more than one attack a month or three over six months or if you have tophi. Allopurinol (Zyloprim) may help reduce the level of uric acid in your blood by slowing the rate at which its produced. Allopurinol can decrease the frequency of gout attacks and prevent long-term complications, especially if you have deposits of crystals in your joints, soft tissues or kidneys.
Medications such as probenecid (Benemid) or sulfinpyrazone (Anturane, in the US) may be prescribed to increase the amount of uric acid you excrete in your urine. These drugs also help dissolve tophi deposits and prevent the deposits of uric acid in joints. However, they are not generally prescribed for people with kidney disease or people with a history of kidney stones.
Attacks of gout often seem to hit at the least convenient times; for example, on business trips and vacations, prompted perhaps by indulging in rich foods or alcohol. Be prepared: If youve had a previous attack, carry your prescription pills with you so you can take immediate action if necessary.
Lifestyle changes that may help prevent repeat gout attacks include:
Maintaining a healthy weight. Gradual weight loss reduces joint strain and may decrease uric acid.
Avoiding foods high in purines(see table). These include organ meats, sardines, anchovies, and some broths and gravies.
Limiting or avoiding alcohol. Alcohol inhibits excretion of uric acid, increasing risk of a buildup.
Increasing fluids. At least 10 to 12 glasses of fluid each day may help flush excess uric acid from your body.
An attack of gout is no picnic, but with proper treatment, it can be short-lived, complications can be avoided, and it will leave no permanent damage.
(For gout patients) |
Group I
Select from these foods:
Fruits
Gelatin (gulaman)
Milk, breads, sugar & syrups
Tea & coffee
Eggs
Vegetables (except those under Group II)
Cereal & cereal products
Cheese
Group II
Use foods in moderation:
Poultry
Seafoods (crabs, oysters, eels, shrimps)
Vegetables (asparagus, spinach, mushroom & cauliflower)
Beverages
Fats
Fish (except those under Group III)
Legumes (beans, lentils)
Meat
Meat soups & broths
Oatmeal
Butter, margarine
Group III
Avoid these foods:
Mussels (tahong)
Meat extracts
Brains
Gravies (sarsa)
Patis
Sweatbreads (mulyehas)
Yeast
Anchovies (dilis, bagoong)
Internal organs (such as liver, kidney, pancreas)
Sardines
Herring (tamban, tawilis, tunsoy, lapad, silinyasi)
Mackerel (alumahan, hasa-hasa, tanguingi)
Prepared by the Biomedical Nutrition Division of the Food and Nutrition Insitute of the Department of Science and Technology