What Helps Gout Pain And Causes Metabolic Arthritis?

Gout, or metabolic arthritis, is a form of arthritis characterized by severe, sudden attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and warmth afflicting the joints.

Gouty arthritis, as gout is otherwise known, is a treatable condition that most commonly affects the joint of the big toe. Seventy-percent of first gout attacks occur in this part of the body. Gouty arthritis may also occur in feet, ankles, knees, hands, and wrists. The first episode of gout often occurs at night and continues on for a week or two before subsiding.

While anyone of any age can experience bouts of gout, the condition is most prevalent in middle-aged men between the ages of forty and fifty. Post-menopausal women are at an increased risk of developing gouty arthritis

Gout occurs when the body is hosting an elevated level of uric acid. The human bloodstream is only designed to carry trace amounts of uric acid. Once the body experiences an increase in these levels, the excess uric acid will form crystals that lodge themselves into the joints of the body. These deposits of uric acid routinely enlarge in size and burst through the skin until they have become a chalky white-colored material.

Uric acid is the byproduct of the body's breakdown of a waste product called purines. Purines is often found in foods like organ meats. Some foods containing purines include liver, brains, and kidneys. Foods like sweetbreads, mushrooms, and asparagus.

What Causes Metabolic Arthritis?

Gout can be an inherited condition. One out of five gout sufferers have a family history of metabolic arthritis However, episodes with gouty arthritis can also be triggered by factors including:

Chemotherapy Treatment

Injury to the Joints

Crash Diets

Severe Illness

Surgery

Certain prescriptions have been medically linked to the development of gout. Amongst the drugs that increase uric acid levels, subsequently thiazide diuretics, a type of drug prescribed to treat high blood pressure, low doses of aspirin, and anti-rejection drugs used for post-transplant surgeries. There are also particular medical conditions that elevate the risk of developing gouty arthritis Untreated diabetes and hypertension are amongst the health problems that influence gout. Changes in lifestyle also play a role. Gaining thirty pounds or more, in addition to consuming more than one alcohol beverage a day for women and two or more for men, can increase the risk of developing gout.

Signs and Symptoms Associated With Gout

Intense joint pain may be the first indicator of the onset of gout. Since afflicted joints customarily exhibit red, tender, and swollen joints, inflammation at the point of affliction is another sign of gouty arthritis

What Helps Gout Pain?

While painful, there are various treatments for gout. So, what helps gout pain? Implementing dietary changes is one form of assistance for gout pain. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, otherwise known as NSAIDs, may provide relief in the midst of gout attacks. Ibuprofen, like Advil and Motrin, are popular non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The most severe cases of gouty arthritis are generally treated with the use of corticosteroids. When steroids are used for gout treatment , they are injected directly into the affected joints, in a treatment that is limited to three times annually.