Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Symptoms of Gout?What Causes Gout?How Is Gout Diagnosed?Anti-Inflammatory Gout DietHow Is Gout Treated?Managing Gout Flare-UpsIs Gout Curable?Living Well With GoutOutlook for GoutNext in Gout GuideSymptoms of Gout
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Symptoms of Gout?
What Causes Gout?
How Is Gout Diagnosed?
Anti-Inflammatory Gout Diet
How Is Gout Treated?
Managing Gout Flare-Ups
Is Gout Curable?
Living Well With Gout
Outlook for Gout
Next in Gout Guide
Gout is a form ofinflammatory arthritis. It occurs whenuric acid crystalsaccumulate in one (or rarely several) of the body’s joints. This painful condition often comes on without warning and most commonly affects the base of the big toe.
Gout can cause severe pain, inflammation, and difficulty walking if left untreated.
This article will detail the causes, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for this arthritic condition.
Robert Kirk / Getty Images
Several hallmark symptoms typically appear during a gout attack. These include:
Though gout can affect any joint in the body, it impacts several areas more commonly. These areas include the:
What Gout Feels LikeGout pain hasseveral unique characteristics. It is typically intense in nature, comes on without warning, and accompanies warmth and swelling in the affected area.
What Gout Feels Like
Gout pain hasseveral unique characteristics. It is typically intense in nature, comes on without warning, and accompanies warmth and swelling in the affected area.
Gout is also a somewhat unpredictable condition. Its symptoms typically come on without warning and may persist for one to two weeks (or more). In addition, when a gout attack subsides, it may take many months (or even years) for another one to occur.
High levels of uric acid can lead to the formation of microscopic, needle-like crystals (called monosodium urate). These crystals travel in the bloodstream and accumulate in the body’s joints, fluids, and tissues. When a crystal buildup occurs, it can irritate the affected area and lead to gout symptoms.
What Puts You at an Increased Risk of Gout?
Though anyone can get gout, several groups are at a higher risk of developing the condition. They include:
Why Does Gout Begin in the Foot?Uric acid is very sensitive to temperature changes and crystalizes in colder areas of the body. Because your foot is the farthest region from the heart, it is also the coolest area. As a result, the foot (in particular, the big toe) is where most gout attacks occur.
Why Does Gout Begin in the Foot?
Uric acid is very sensitive to temperature changes and crystalizes in colder areas of the body. Because your foot is the farthest region from the heart, it is also the coolest area. As a result, the foot (in particular, the big toe) is where most gout attacks occur.
Understanding the Relationship Between Gout and Autoimmune Diseases
Gout diagnosis is possible only during an acute flare-up of the condition. When this occurs, the diagnosis process typically starts with a physical exam.
A healthcare provider will evaluate your symptoms and obtain your personal history. They will also typically aspirate fluid from the affected joint to look for the presence of uric acid crystals under a microscope.
In the past, many people with gout were advised to curb their consumption of alcohol and to eat a diet low in purine-containing foods. However, recent research has called the effectiveness and sustainability of this approach into question.
A recent review suggested that adopting eitherthe Mediterraneanorthe DASH dietmay be more beneficial in lowering systemic uric acid levels. In addition, these diets effectively address things like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, all of which are risk factors for developing gout.
Here are more details about these diets:
Importantly, though these dietary modifications may help prevent gout, neither has proved as beneficial as uric-acid-lowering medication treatment.
Can You Have Gout in Your Heel?
Depending on the severity and frequency of your gout flare-ups, several different types of interventions can treat this condition. Among the most common are:
Gout-Friendly Exercises to Meet Your Physical Goals
Medications
Medications for treating gout include:
How to Immediately Relieve Gout Pain
To prevent the recurrence of gout flare-ups, a healthcare provider may prescribeZyloprim (allopurinol)or Uloric (febuxostat). These medications help keep the body’s uric acid levels low. They are typically recommended if you have more than one gout attack yearly.
Home Remedies and Self-Care
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers several free self-care programs to help people live well despite chronic conditions like gout.
Complications of Untreated Gout
Chronic or prolonged gout flare-ups can also lead to the development of gouty arthritis. This occurs when the smooth, slippery cartilage that lines the bones in a joint begins to break down or deteriorate.
If your healthcare provider suspects this is the issue, they may also order an X-ray to definitively diagnose this potential long-term gout complication.
Tophaceous Gout: Everything You Need To Know
Surgery
Surgery is rarely indicated because of a gout flare-up. If repeated gout attacks cause gouty arthritis to develop in a joint, an operation may be necessary. Surgical options for gouty arthritis vary depending on the affected area but may include the following:
In addition, hardened deposits of monosodium urate crystals (tophi) can develop near joints, bones, or cartilage. In some instances, atophi removal proceduremay also be necessary to alleviate pain and reduce the risk of infection.
Toeffectively manage your gout attacks,it is important to avoid foods that may trigger a flare-up. These include:
High levels of stress can also aggravate gout.Practicing mindfulness, staying active, and performingother relaxation techniquesmay help lower your tension and aid in managing this condition.
What to Do During a Sudden Gout Flare
If you are experiencing a sudden gout attack, there areseveral stepsto try at home:
Talk to a Healthcare ProviderIf you are experiencing sharp, sudden pain (particularly in your big toe) that arises out of nowhere, it is important to speak to a healthcare provider immediately.
Talk to a Healthcare Provider
If you are experiencing sharp, sudden pain (particularly in your big toe) that arises out of nowhere, it is important to speak to a healthcare provider immediately.
Knowing Your Gout Triggers
Though gout is not curable, it is possible to achieve disease remission.
Depending on the severity of the disease and the anti-inflammatory and urate-lowering medications prescribed, many find themselves able to eliminate flare-ups, resolve their pain, and normalize systemic uric acid levels.
Working closely with a healthcare provider skilled in treating gout is the best way to achieve disease remission.
It is possible to improve your well-being in spite of having gout. Eating a healthy diet and abstaining from alcohol can help you maintain a healthy body weight and reduce the likelihood of developing gout-related risk factors like hypertension and diabetes. Performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises each week can also help achieve this goal.
In addition, regularly meeting with a healthcare provider and following their treatment plan is a cornerstone to living well with this condition. Doing so helps keep you healthy and reduces the likelihood of a painful flare-up.
Though a gout flare-up is often extremely painful in the moment, most attacks subside within one to two weeks of onset.The long-term outlook for gout depends on effective symptom management.
As previously mentioned, remission from this condition is possible with regular monitoring of your uric acid levels and the use of uric-acid-lowering medication. Contact your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any of the symptoms detailed above.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.Arthritis Foundation.Gout.American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.Gout.Yokose C, McCormick N, Choi HK.The role of diet in hyperuricemia and gout.Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2021;33(2):135-144. doi:10.1097/BOR.0000000000000779Arthritis Foundation.Managing a gout flare.Dalbeth N, Stamp LK, Taylor WJ.What is remission in gout and how should we measure it?Rheumatology. 2021;60(3):1007-1009. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa853
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.Arthritis Foundation.Gout.American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.Gout.Yokose C, McCormick N, Choi HK.The role of diet in hyperuricemia and gout.Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2021;33(2):135-144. doi:10.1097/BOR.0000000000000779Arthritis Foundation.Managing a gout flare.Dalbeth N, Stamp LK, Taylor WJ.What is remission in gout and how should we measure it?Rheumatology. 2021;60(3):1007-1009. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa853
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.Arthritis Foundation.Gout.American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.Gout.Yokose C, McCormick N, Choi HK.The role of diet in hyperuricemia and gout.Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2021;33(2):135-144. doi:10.1097/BOR.0000000000000779Arthritis Foundation.Managing a gout flare.Dalbeth N, Stamp LK, Taylor WJ.What is remission in gout and how should we measure it?Rheumatology. 2021;60(3):1007-1009. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa853
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gout.
Arthritis Foundation.Gout.
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.Gout.
Yokose C, McCormick N, Choi HK.The role of diet in hyperuricemia and gout.Current Opinion in Rheumatology. 2021;33(2):135-144. doi:10.1097/BOR.0000000000000779
Arthritis Foundation.Managing a gout flare.
Dalbeth N, Stamp LK, Taylor WJ.What is remission in gout and how should we measure it?Rheumatology. 2021;60(3):1007-1009. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keaa853
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
