Gout

Gout is a rheumatic disease that results from a build-up in the body of too much uric which forms into crystals that, because these have nowhere else to go, deposit in joints and cause inflammation. This causes pain, swelling, tenderness, redness and stiffness in the area. Usually, gout initially affects the joints in the big toe, but it can also affect the knee, ankle, hand, foot, wrist and elbow. Symptoms may include: Hyperuricemia, intense pain in one joint, hot red skin around the painful area.

A number of risk factors are related to the development of gout: Environmental factors, genetic predisposition, high levels of alcohol consumption, etc. Gout is rare in children and young adults. Men over age 40 are four times more susceptible to gout than women. People who have had an organ transplant also have a great likeliness of developing gout. Although there is no cure for gout, medications like Colchicine, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, Probenecid or Sulfinpyrazone manage to ease the pain and prevent future attacks.