Health Care : Gout Disease, Causes, Diagnosis, Handling, Complications, and Symptoms

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INTRODUCTION OF GOUT DISEASE

Gout is a condition that can cause unbearable pain symptoms, swelling, and hot feeling in the joints. Although all joints in the body can be exposed to uric acid, but the most frequently attacked is the joints of fingers, knees, ankles, and toes. Lay people sometimes refer to this disease as gout. 

Men are more prone to gout than women, especially when they are above the age of 30 years. In women, the disease is usually at risk after menopause. 

People affected by gout disease will usually feel the rapid development of symptoms within the first few hours. The pain can last for 3-10 days. Swelling not only occurs in the joints, but also in the area around the joints accompanied by reddening skin tone. At this stage, the patient can not move freely. 

People often mistakenly equate the disease of gout (gout / pirai) with rheumatism. Though rheumatism is a general term used to describe pain in joints or muscles that have inflammation. Uric acid disease (gout / pirai) is only one cause of pain in the joints. Recognizing symptoms and signs in gout can help a person differentiate with joint pain caused by other conditions. 

Many people think if uric acid levels in high blood (hyperurisemia), it will be affected by gout. This is not true, because only about one third of people with hyperuricemia who experience gout. 

Causes of Gout Disease 

Symptoms of pain and swelling of gout disease caused by puncture of sharp crystals around the joints formed by accumulation of uric acid substances. Someone who likes to eat foods that cause increased uric acid (eg offal, seafood, red meat) and someone who likes to consume alcoholic beverages will be at high risk of gout disease. In addition, the disease is also prone to be experienced by people who are suffering from obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or chronic kidney disease. 

According to research, someone who has a family with gout disease can also be exposed to the same conditions. In other words, the disease is genetic as well. 

Diagnosis of Gout Disease 

See a doctor if you feel the symptoms of gout. In making the diagnosis, the doctor will perform an examination or test to confirm the presence of sodium crystals in the joints. This needs to be done because there are other types of diseases that can cause symptoms resembling gout disease. Examination of uric acid levels in the blood is also usually done. 

Before doing the test, usually the doctor will first ask about: 

• Painful joint location. 
• How often you experience symptoms and how quickly these symptoms appear. 
• Certain medications you are taking. 
• A history of gout in your family. 

Handling of Gout Disease 

Handling of gout disease has two main objectives, namely to relieve the symptoms and prevent attacks from happening again. 

To relieve symptoms of gout, you can stick ice bags on the joints that hurt. You can also take painkillers, such as colchicine, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and steroid-type drugs. 

Meanwhile, to prevent the recurrence of gout attacks, you can consume gout-lowering drugs (eg allopurinol). In addition, you are required to stay away from foods that trigger gout and immediately lose weight. Prioritize low-calorie foods to support efforts to gain ideal body weight. 

The combination of medicines from doctors and healthy life behaviors generally proved effective in lowering uric acid levels and dissolving the sharp crystals that have been formed. With such a combination, it is expected that patients with gout disease no longer experience relapse. 

But I can’t recommendation for you to use medicine from a doctor, because all of medicine have a side effects only use herbal if you want, because herbal medicine is safe for you and your body. 

Complications of Gout Disease 

Although gout disease rarely cause complications, but still we should be wary. Some complications that may occur, including: 

• The appearance of a hard lump (tofi) in the vicinity of an inflamed area. 
• Permanent joint damage due to the ongoing inflammation and tofi within the joint that damage the cartilage and joint bone itself. This permanent damage usually occurs in cases of gout disease that have been neglected for years. 
• Kidney stones caused by deposition of uric acid mixed with calcium in the kidney. 

Symptoms of Gout Disease 

Joints that suddenly feel very sick (especially joints of the big toe) are a common symptom of gout. Often times people with this disease difficult to walk due to pain that is very disturbing. Although it can appear at any time, but generally the symptoms are usually more pronounced at night. 

Not only the joints of the big toe only, other joints located at the end of the limb are also susceptible to gout disease. Examples are ankle joints, middle soles, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. 

Usually the pain develops quickly within a few hours. This great pain will be accompanied by swelling, heat sensation, and the appearance of reddish color on the skin lining the joints. 

Gout disease attacks generally last 3-10 days. As the symptoms subside and the swelling deflates, the skin around the affected joints will appear scaly, flaky, and itchy. Although the attacks may subside on their own, this condition should not be ignored. Treatment should be undertaken, among other things, to prevent the risk of relapse with increased severity of symptoms, the risk of spread to other joints, and the risk of permanent damage to the joints.

Next Article about how to treat your gout disease

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