Gout: Symptoms, Causes, What It Is and Treatment

• Pain – affects the joints – usually the toes, but also the ankles, knees, elbows or fingers.
• The pain is very strong and sharp in the first hours of the attack, gradually it may change to weaker and dull.
• Swelling, redness and tenderness – these are signs of inflammation.
• The joint may be warm to the touch.
• Momentum limitation.

In some cases, fever may also occur during an attack of arthritis uratica^[1],[2]

It is a painful inflammatory disease that can affect anyone regardless of age or gender. ^[3] An arthritis uratica attack can be described in three words: pain, swelling, and redness of the affected joint, most commonly the big toe. ^[4]

It is one form of arthritis, an inflammatory disease of the joints.

During an attack, there is swelling, redness and marked tenderness of the joint. An attack can occur quite unexpectedly and suddenly. A painful attack of the disease in the middle of the night is no rarity. The discomfort may subside a few days after the attack, but usually returns at various intervals. It is therefore important to prevent its recurrence. ^[5]

The main risk factor is an elevated level of uric acid in the blood. Contributing to the elevated levels are:

• Eating foods rich in purines – for example, red meat,
• overweight and obesity,
• chronic diseases – untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease,
• some medicines – taking them for a long time and some medicines for high blood pressure,
• family burden – the occurrence in the immediate family,
• age and gender – men are at higher risk, but after menopause the risks for men and women are equal. ^[6]

• The concentration of uric acid in the blood may increase with insufficient hydration. ^[8]
• Arthritis uratica affects between 1% and 4% of the world’s population. The risk of the disease increases with each decade of life and after 80. It can affect up to 13% of people.
• Men are more likely to get this disease if they also suffer from high blood pressure.
• Many patients have chronic kidney disease in addition to the aforementioned disease. ^[9]

Is arthritis uratica curable?

Treatment is a long-term affair and has two main goals: to relieve inflammation in the acute phase of the disease and to reduce uric acid in the blood.

• In an attack of disease, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used.
• Corticosteroids counteract both inflammation and pain.
• An important role is played by drugs to reduce the level of uric acid.
• In the treatment, drugs are also used to modify the excretion of uric acid from the body.

The treatment includes regimen measures – diet modification, weight reduction, alcohol restriction and physical activity. ^[10]

Proper diet is very important for patients. Nutritional measures alone will not resolve disease, but they are an important part of the regimen.

• Patients should limit purine-rich foods (e.g. red meat, offal, seafood).
• It is recommended to replace alcoholic and sweetened beverages with water. ^[11]

Anyone can become a arthritis uratica patient, especially if this ailment already runs in someone’s family. However, a number of precautions can be followed as part of prevention:

• A healthy diet with limited amounts of foods containing high amounts of purines,
• Sufficient drinking regime,
• lifestyle without alcohol and smoking,
• correct body weight,
• regular physical activity. ^[15]

• Daily life with this disease can be managed better if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and take all medications as recommended by your doctor.
• Consistency and persistence contributes to better coping with the diagnosis and also serves as a prevention of arthritisuratica attacks. ^[16]
• It is important to avoid triggers for a seizure – some patients cite alcohol or sweetened beverages, others cite infectious diseases or dehydration. ^[17]

What to do in an attack of arthritis uratica?

In painful attacks of the disease, it is possible to take painkillers and repeatedly apply a cold compress to the affected joint. It is also recommended to put the limb in an elevated position, drink enough and inform the doctor, who will decide on further action. ^[18]

Like other diseases, arthritis uratica is accompanied by various myths stemming from ignorance. What misconceptions are most common among people?

• Myth: It is a rare disease.
  No. Arthritis uratica is a relatively common disease and, for example, there are more than 8 million arthritis uratica patients in the US.
• Myth: It is a disease of men.
  This is a misconception; both men and women can get arthritis uratica although men are at about 10 times higher risk of the disease overall than women, until age 60, when women “catch up” with men. In fact, arthritis uratica is more common in women after menopause.
• Myth: It only affects obese people.
  No, both thin and obese people can have arthritis uratica, but obesity is considered a risk factor.
• Myth: It affects only the big toe.
  This myth probably originated because the big toe is the most commonly affected joint in arthritis uratica. However, it can also affect the hands, elbows, knees or ankles. ^[19]

A lot of research has been devoted to new treatment options for arthritis uratica. In 2023, doctors came to some major findings.

• If uric acid treatment is supplemented with other drugs, the effect of therapy is enhanced.
• Doctors are looking into the possibility of using drugs that act on arthritis uratica and diabetes at the same time.
• A protein called lubricin could serve as a new marker (indicator) of the risk of developing this disease, according to US scientists. Drugs that affect this protein could help reduce the incidence of disease or ease the progression of the disease. ^[20],[21]