Foot gout is a common foot ailment that affects around one in every 100 individuals, mostly men. Medical student Leonard Callus delves into its causes and possible treatments.

Gout is a common type of arthritis, which causes sudden burning pain, stiffness and swelling of joints. Unlike other common arthritis which you might know of, gout commonly affects one joint in your body – usually one of your big toes. Other joints that can be affected are those in the feet and ankles, knees, fingers, wrists and elbows.

After taking a blood test, the doctor usually tells the patient that the acid level of his body is ‘high’. Our body produces different kinds of acids even as we breathe but there is one particular acid that is the culprit of this disease – uric acid. High levels of the latter can result in the build-up of uric acid crystals in joints. These crystals are hard and needle-shaped and usually take several years to build up enough to cause the above symptoms.

This condition is so common that it was found to affect around one in every 100 individuals, mostly among people aged between 30 and 60. Men are at a higher risk than women.

Causes

Levels of uric acid depend on different factors including diet, lifestyle and family history. If you have put on a few extra kilos lately, you can be at a higher risk of developing such a condition, especially if your diet is rich in meat and seafood. These two foodstuffs contain many purines, which are chemicals that the body turns to uric acid in order to take them off the system. Those who like to drink alcohol, especially beer, are also at high risk of developing gout. Low-calorie diets and dehydration are also known to increase this risk.

Believe it or not, prescribed drugs can also cause gout – what is known as iatrogenic gout. Drugs known to cause gout are diuretics which are usually prescribed to people suffering from heart failure, hypertension and certain kidney disorders. This is because such drugs reduce the amount of salt and water in the body thus making uric acid more concentrated in the system. It’s like leaving a glass of salty water in the sun – you end up losing most of the water and are left with salt crystals.

Patients who suffer from heart conditions, headaches and other pain tend to abuse of aspirin, which may also be a precipitating factor for this condition. If you have relatives that have suffered from gout, you have increased risk of suffering from the condition due to possible genetic predisposition. Last but not least, people suffering from kidney problems are at risk of developing gout. Kidneys are vital to clean blood from waste products such as uric acid and, therefore, the less functional the kidneys are, the higher the risk of gout.

Treatment

If not treated, gout can lead to progressive damage to different joints in the body, leading to long-term painful and deformed joints. Thus, gout can be disabling and should be taken seriously. These uric acid crystals can form not only in joints but also in the kidneys and urinary system thus damaging the kidneys and forming kidney stones. The latter can cause severe colicky pain radiating from the back to the hip.

If not treated, gout can lead to progressive damage to different joints in the body, leading to long-term painful and deformed joints

A mere change in lifestyle already provides a big boost to treat and prevent recurrence of this disease and such changes include losing weight, avoiding the intake of too much alcohol and diets rich in meat and avoiding (if possible) the drugs mentioned previously. One should rest the joint for 24 hours after the attack, elevate the foot and put ice to reduce the swelling. As pain relief, the doctor usually prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and not aspirin as this may elevate uric acid levels.

A drug used to cure and prevent the recurrence of gout is colchicine. If taken over a long period of time, it will help to prevent flare ups of gout especially until the level of uric acid goes down. If lifestyle changes alone are not sufficient to lower uric acid levels, xanthine oxidase inhibitor drugs target and reduce the production of this acid by the body.

So if you are suffering from this condition or know somebody who might be suffering from this, don’t let the pain get worse or affect other parts of the body – consult your doctor today. The earlier gout is treated, the more likely the condition resolves without any permanent joint damage.