Gout Gout is a painful form of arthritis.... When your body has excess uric acid, sharp crystals form in your joints (usually the big toe). Gout occurs when uric acid builds up. Gout mostly affects the joints of the big toe, but it can affect other joints, including: - Knees - ankle - foot - Hand and wrist - Elbow Gout symptoms come and go (recur) in periods called relapses or gout attacks.... **The best orthopedic specialist in Tehran** will suggest medications and changes in your diet that will lower your uric acid levels and minimize the number of gout attacks in the future.... Symptoms and causes of gout.. ### What are the symptoms of gout?.. Gout attacks are very painful and can happen suddenly, often overnight. During a gout attack, symptoms in the affected joints may include: 1... severe pain 2 .... change in color or redness 3... stiffness 4 .... inflation 5. Tenderness, even to a light touch (like a sheet covering your injured joint) 6... Heat, or "burning" sensation in the joint #### How long does a gout attack last? Gout attacks usually last a week or two.... some symptoms may last longer than others and some may cause more severe symptoms.... In between attacks, you may not experience gout symptoms.... ### What causes gout?... Excess uric acid build-up in the body causes gout... Your body naturally makes uric acid when it breaks down chemicals called purines, which are found in certain foods.. Then the acid Orik from It flushes out your blood and drinks.. When your body has high levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia), uric acid crystals can collect and settle in your joints.. Many people with hyperuricemia never develop gout. Postpartum joints ** ### Risk factors of gout Gout can affect anyone....Men are three times more likely to develop gout....Women usually do not develop gout until after menopause....People with certain medical conditions are more likely to develop gout, including: - Overweight or obesity - Congestive heart failure - Diabetes - high blood pressure (high blood pressure) - Kidney disease - Blood cancer If: - Having a parent or biological grandparent with gout.... - Eat a lot of animal protein, especially animal meat, shellfish and foods containing organ meats.... - Drinking alcohol regularly.... - Taking a diuretic (water pill).... - Taking immunosuppressive drugs.... #### Which foods cause gout?. that can cause gout, including: - **Sweet drinks and sweets:** Normal sugar is half fructose (fruit sugar) that breaks down into uric acid.... Any food or drink with a high sugar content can cause gout.... - **High fructose corn syrup:** This is a concentrated form of fructose.... Packaged food products and processed snacks contain a lot of corn syrup.... **Alcohol:** Even if all the drinks are alcoholic, they are not too much. Alcohol prevents your kidneys from removing uric acid and returns it to your body, where it continues to accumulate.... - **Some seafood:** herring, scallops, oysters, mackerel, tuna, salmon, and herring.... - **Red meat**: beef, lamb, pork, and bacon....and tests ### **How ​​is gout diagnosed?** An orthopedist will diagnose gout through a physical exam....they will ask you about your symptoms and examine your affected joints....tell your doctor when you first noticed symptoms such as pain and swelling in your joint and how often the symptoms come and go....what tests are used to diagnose gout?..your doctor may use certain imaging tests to take pictures of the affected joints.. These tests can also show whether gout has changed your joints. You may need the following: - X-rays - Ultrasound - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - CT scan (computed tomography) - especially dual energy CT scan. Other common tests to diagnose gout are: - Blood test to measure uric acid in your blood - Joint aspiration - using a needle to remove a fluid sample from inside the joint Management and treatment of gout ### How is gout treated? Treatment of gout is usually a combination of symptom management during exacerbations and reducing the intake of purine-rich foods and beverages... **Read more: Hip Implants | Types, causes and surgery ** ### Gout medicine Your doctor may recommend medications to help manage symptoms, including: - NSAIDs: Over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen can reduce pain and swelling during a gout attack. Some people with kidney disease, stomach ulcers, and other health problems should not use NSAIDs. Oral (oral) tablets... Corticosteroids may also be injected into the affected joint or muscle near your joint (intramuscularly). - Allopurinol - Febuxostat - pegloticase - Probencid ### Low purine diet for gout Your podiatrist may recommend that you follow a low-purine diet. A low-purine diet encourages you to eat less foods and drinks with high purine content. It helps reduce uric acid in your body. It also encourages you to eat certain foods that may lower your uric acid levels. There is no cure for gout. When you work with a medical professional to find treatments that manage your symptoms and lower your uric acid levels, you'll experience fewer attacks.