What is gout or gouty arthritis?

If you're wondering, "What is gout?" you're not alone. Thousands of people search the Internet every month looking for information on gout, also referred to gouty arthritis.

Gout is an extremely painful form of arthritis that affects an estimated 2 to 5 million Americans. Individuals most commonly affected by gout are men aged 40 to 59 years. Gout usually doesn't occur in women until after menopause and is extremely rare in children. The condition is the most common type of arthritis in men.

What is gout and what are the causes?
Gout can occur when a body accumulates too much uric acid, a condition called hyperuricemia. In some individuals with hyperuricimia, crystals form and are deposited in the joint fluid (synovial fluid) and joint lining (synovial lining). Not everyone with excess uric acid develops gout.

Uric acid levels can become elevated when a person's kidneys are not expelling enough uric acid or a person is eating too many foods containing purines, which are broken down by the body into uric acid. There is a genetic component to gout: 18 percent of gout patients have a family history of the disease, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. See more on what causes gout by visiting our page, Gout Causes.

Doctors also believe that increased uric acid levels can also be caused by taking diuretics or "water pills" to treat hypertension or ingesting low levels of aspirin.

What is gout and what are the sign and symptoms?
In many cases, the first gout attack occurs in the big toe, but gout can affect ankles, heels, wrists, fingers, knees and elbows. My mother was diagnosed with gout at age 68 and her initial attack occurred in her wrist. In gout, usually just one joint is affected, and the pain can be excruciating-- patients often say it is the worst pain they have experienced in their lives. The joint will generally be swollen, hot, red and of course tender. It can look like an infection. My mother went to the hospital where doctors thought her wrist was infected and started intravenous antibiotics. A few days later, doctors tested for crystals and confirmed she had gout.

The first attack can last several days to two weeks and will go away without treatment. As a general rule, a second attack will not occur for another 6 months to 2 years, and some people will never experience a second attack.

After several years of having gout attacks, an individual may develop chronic tophaceous gout, in which a joint is swollen and painful much of the time and tophi may develop. Tophi are lumps or nodules that consist of uric acid deposits in cartilage, tendons and soft tissue.

Gout is on the rise
If current trends continue, even more people will be looking for answers to "What is Gout?" The January 2008 issue of the prestigious British Medical Journal reported that gout cases in the United States have doubled in the past few decades. The journal contained results of a large-scale study demonstrating that consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas significantly increases likelihood of developing gout.

The study authors noted that during the time frame that gout cases doubled in the U.S., Americans' consumption of soft drinks increased by 61 percent. The study contained evidence that several groups of foods impact the development gout. To see some of the foods researchers say can increase the risk of developing gout, click here.

Besides answering "What is Gout?" we've compiled 8 gout remedies you may want to review.

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