Gout is a type of arthritis that causes serious pain, often in the big toe. Fortunately, gout doesn’t have to keep you from standing, walking, and going about your daily life any longer. Trung Pham, MD, in Randallstown, Maryland, helps patients with gout and other forms of arthritis to live life without pain again.

Gout Q & A

What is gout?

Gout is a kind of arthritis that results when you’ve got an excess of uric acid in your blood. The uric acid can cause you to develop tiny razor-sharp urate crystals inside your joint, and this, in turn, causes the typical symptoms of a gout attack: significant inflammation and serious pain.

Gout can be either short-term, occurring in bouts lasting 7-10 days (acute gout,) or long-term, which can go on for years if you don’t get treatment (chronic gout).

Why does gout develop?

You can develop high uric acid levels in a couple of ways. Sometimes, it’s due to your body breaking down too many of the purines naturally found in your body. This causes you to make too much uric acid.

In other cases, it’s the result of eating too many purine-containing foods like red meat or seafood. Some beverages, for example, beer, don’t actually have purines in them, but can still increase your uric acid levels and thus raise your risk of gout. You may be able to avoid some gout attacks with dietary changes under Dr. Pham’s guidance.

What are the signs of gout?

The symptoms of gout include:

  • Major swelling around a single large joint, especially the big toe joint
  • Pain in and around the affected joint
  • Inflammation and pronounced skin redness above the affected joint

Gout looks awful, and it feels just as bad. Without treatment, gout can grow so severe that it’s actually difficult to wear shoes or even to stand or walk normally. Fortunately, you can get effective treatment for gout.

What is the treatment for gout?

Dr. Pham typically prescribes medications that can help with symptoms, including:

  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication to reduce inflammation
  • Colchicine to reduce pain
  • Corticosteroids, either via injection or taken orally, to reduce inflammation and pain
  • Xanthine oxidase inhibitors to reduce your uric acid production
  • Uricosurics to help you eliminate uric acid more effectively via urination

You may need a couple of medications depending on your gout symptoms and issues.

Is gout making you feel awful? Schedule your appointment with Dr. Pham now by calling the office.