GOUT

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GOUT
Dawn Hyman
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What Is Gout

• Gout a form of arthritis also known as metabolic
  arthritis or gouty arthritis .
• It is the sudden, severe attacks of pain,
  tenderness, warmth, and swelling in some joints.
• Gout usually affects one joint at a time, the big
  toe.
• It also can affect other joints such as the
  ankle, heel, instep, knee, wrist, elbow, fingers,
  and spine.

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Causes

• Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the
  blood, which results in abnormal deposits of
  sodium urate crystals in the joint cartilage.
• Sodium urate is formed from uric acid. Uric acid
  comes from the natural breakdown of RNA and DNA
  (the genetic material in cells).

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• Some foods contain large amounts of uric acid,
  especially red meats and internal organs (such as
  liver and kidneys), some shellfish, and
  anchovies.
• The amount of uric acid in your blood can
  change depending on your overall health, what you
  eat, how much alcohol you drink and what
  medicines you are taking.

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• Although diet and excessive drinking contribute
  to the development of gout, they are not the main
  cause of the disorder.
• It is often related to an inherited abnormality
  in the body's ability to process uric acid.
• Uric acid is a breakdown product of purines that
  are part of many foods we eat.
• An abnormality in handling uric acid can cause
  attacks of painful arthritis (gout attack),
  kidney stones, and blockage of the kidney
  filtering tubules with uric acid crystals,
  leading to kidney failure.
• On the other hand, some persons may only develop
  elevated blood uric acid levels (hyperuricemia)
  without having arthritis or kidney problems.
• The term "gout" commonly is used to refer to the
  painful arthritis attacks.
• Intense joint swelling occurs as white blood
  cells engulf the uric acid crystals and release
  chemicals of inflammation, causing pain, heat,
  and redness of the joint tissues..

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Risks Factors

• The factors that increase the risk of gout are
  overweight, drink too much alcohol, or eat too
  much meat and fish that are high in chemicals
  called purines.
• Some medicines, such as water pills (diuretics),
  can also bring on gout.

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• Uric acid in normal amounts remains dissolved in
  the blood, easily passes through the kidneys, and
  leaves the body as waste.
• Uric acid in high amounts, however, makes a
  person more likely to develop gout.
• Not everyone with high levels of uric acid will
  develop gout.
• The kidneys' ability to rid the body of uric acid
  is partly determined by heredity.
• Yet, just because someone in the family suffers
  from gout does not mean everyone in that family
  will have the disorder.
• Many times, the effect of heredity is modified
  by the risk factors that affect uric acid, as
  well as male sex and age.
• Most of the time, having too much uric acid is
  not harmful. Many people with high levels in
  their blood never get gout.
• But when uric acid levels in the blood are too
  high, the uric acid may form hard crystals in
  your joints.

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Prevalence

• Primarily gout occurs in men, postmenopausal
  women and secondary gout occurs in elderly
  people.
• It affects more than 1 of adults in the USA and
  it is the most common form of inflammatory
  arthritis among men.
• Men particular between the ages of 40 50 are
  more likely to develop gout than women who rarely
  develop the disorder before menopause.
• It affects three (3) times as many men as women.
  Gout occurs in approximately 840 out of every
  100,000 people and is very rear in children and
  young adults.
• Racial and ethnic differences are not distinct
  or higher for the development of gout, but appear
  to be linked to a genetic defect in the
  metabolism of purine.

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• Gout has the unique distinction of being one of
  the most frequently recorded medical illnesses
  thru-out history.
• It was once incorrectly thought to be a disease
  of the wealthy.
• Caused by eating too much rich food and drinking
  fine wines.

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Symptoms

• Common signs of gout is a nighttime attack of
  swelling, tenderness, redness, and sharp pain in
  the affected area.
• Tenderness can be so intense that even a blanket
  touching the skin over the affected joint can be
  unbearable.
• Patients can develop fever with the acute gout
  attacks.
• These painful attacks can last for hours or days,
  some times even weeks.
• Another attack may not happen for months or
  years.
• Most persons with gout will experience repeated
  attacks of arthritis over the years.

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Diagnosis

• A sample of fluid from your joint to look for
  uric acid crystals.
• This is the best way to test for gout.
• A blood test to measure the amount of uric acid
  in your blood.
• A physical exam by your doctor.

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Treatment

• The first line of treatment should be pain
  relief.
• Some over-the-counter medications can provide
  temporary relief from pain and swelling.
• NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can reduce the pain and
  inflammation slightly

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• Preparation H hemorrhoid ointment can be applied
  to the swollen skin to reduce the swelling
  temporarily.
• Professional medical care is needed for
  long-term management of gout.

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Prevention

• Maintaining adequate fluid intake
• Weight reduction
• Dietary changes
• Reduction in alcohol consumption
• Medications to reduce hyperuricemia
• Avoid Stress

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Questions

• Gout only affects wealthy persons.
• A. Yes B. No
• What are some of the symptoms of Gout.
• A. Red Eyes . B. Swelling in the joints .C.
  Vomiting D. Tummy Ache
• Can over the counter medication use to relieve
  the symptoms of gout.
• A. Yes B. No
• Gout is spread by.
• A. Inherited. B. Sexually. C. Air Born .D. Touch

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GOUT