Arthritis is the general name for several conditions that affect the musculoskeletal tissue in your joints, such as your cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. There are over 100 types of arthritis that cause wear-and-tear over time as well as weakening your bone and causing infections and autoimmune conditions.
Gout is a unique type of arthritis that damages the bone and tissue in your joints but also includes risks of recurring issues, severe joint damage, and kidney damage. If you live in the Beverly Hills, California, area and you’re looking for treatment options for gout or other arthritis problems, Dr. Shawn Veiseh and his team are here to help.
Let’s look at some signs that indicate you have gout, treatment options, and how we can help you manage it.
Gout is a form of arthritis that stems from the buildup of uric acid in your bloodstream, also known as hyperuricemia, and most often presents in your big toe.
Uric acid is one of many forms of waste you excrete from the foods you eat, but too much of it in your system can collect and cause the acid to crystallize, causing the sharp edges of those minerals to deposit in your joints and inflame the tissue there.
This acid often comes from purines found in foods such as bacon, venison, turkey, veal, liver, cod, sardines, and scallops. It’s also in various forms of alcohol such as beer, and can be found in drinks heavy with high fructose corn syrup. Other factors that raise uric acid levels include dehydration, joint injury, stress, and fatigue.
While gout attacks and flare-ups most often occur in the big toe, it can also show up in your ankles, knees, feet, hands, wrists, and elbows. The attacks are sudden, often occur overnight, and can last for up to two weeks. During that time, you can experience signs like:
While an attack can last a couple of weeks, the most severe pain is usually within the first four hours of a flare-up, though lingering discomfort will be present the rest of the time.
Your affected joints will likely become discolored and swollen during a flare-up, adding to your discomfort.
Your joint may also feel warm during an attack, sometimes described as feeling like it’s on fire.
As your condition worsens, it leads to joint stiffness that can affect your range of motion.
Your joint may feel so sensitive and tender that even something as light as a bedsheet against it can cause discomfort.
Gout is treated by working to lower your uric acid levels, which can be done in a few different ways. You can help reduce these levels by lowering your intake of the food and alcohol listed above, as well as slowing down on sweet beverages.
Adding things like tart cherries, celery, magnesium, nettle tea, ginger, and diluted apple cider vinegar can help your symptoms. Lowering your weight and quitting smoking helps too.
Medications to treat gout include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine, and corticosteroids to reduce pain, xanthine oxidase inhibitors and probenecid to prevent flare-ups, and, in severe cases, gout surgery to treat hard deposits called tophi in your joints.
If you have one or more of the signs listed above, make an appointment with Dr. Veiseh and our team today. Call our office or schedule a visit online to get help for your gout.
