How to treat Gout attacks

It is essential that before doing anything else, the inflammation must me addressed, and stopped. Then a long-term treatment or management must be chosen and started so future gouty attacks are prevented and Tophi gouty crystal (Uric acid crystals) deposits in the tissue can be shrink.

Medication used to treat Gout includes

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs may control inflammation and pain in people with gout. Most known over-the-counter medicines include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others), and stronger medicines such as indomethacin (Indocin).

• Colchicines (Colcrys): is a type of pain reliever that effectively reduces gout pain especially when started soon after symptoms appear. The drug's effectiveness is offset in most cases. This is mostly prescribed to those who cannot take NSAIDs.

• Corticosteroids. Corticosteroid medications, such as the drug prednisone, also control gout inflammation and pain. This can be taken in pills or they can be injected into the joints. These types of medicines are generally prescribed to people who cannot take either NSAIDs or colchicines.

All of these types have side effects such as stomach pain, ulcers, nausea, diarrhea and in the case of Corticosteroids it can thinned the bones, and reduce the ability of fight against infections or heal wounds.


Other options are:

• Xanthine oxidase inhibitors Medications: this type blocks uric acid production they include allopurinol (Aloprim, Lopurin, Zyloprim) and febuxostat (Uloric), which limit the amount of uric acid the body makes. By lowering the uric acid amount it reduces the risk of gout.

• Uric acid removal Medication: medicine such as Probenecid (Probalan) that improves kidneys' ability to remove uric acid from the body. Also lowering the uric acid levels and reducing the risk of gout. However, the level of uric acid in the urine is increased.

Side effects include nauseas, liver function reduction, rash, stomach pain and kidney stones.

Doctors must prescribe the medicine, and suggest the doses, if they need to be increased or limited.

In addition to medicine another preventive measure to reduce, control, and improve life style with gout includes, a high fluid intake, weight loss, eating habits must be modified, and reduce alcohol consumption.

Symptoms

Gout is a type of arthritis and is characterized by the sudden and sever attacks of burning pain, as well as a stiffness and redness in the joint. This involves one or more joints and most of the time is the big toe, knee, and ankle joints. This occurs often at night starting with a sudden excruciating pain, the join turns red, warm and tender that even a simple touch by a sheet hurts. Gout may go away immediately or last days, and it may return from time to time.
This type of arthritis is more common in men than women which become more susceptible to gout after the menopause.

Diabetic, obese, anemic, and people with leukemia and kidney disease have a greater chance of having gout among other people.

Gouty Arthritis is treatable and the risks of it coming back are reduced.

What causes it?

Gout is caused by the increase of uric acid in blood that led to your gout attack can still damage your joints. Uric acids are produced when our bodies break down purines, substance naturally found in our bodies, certain foods.

Normally the acid uric are dissolved in our blood and expelled out of the body through the kidneys into the urine, but sometimes we produce excessive uric acid or kidneys do not expulses enough out of the body.

Diagnosis:

To help diagnose the following test may be done:
• Uric acid- blood
• Synovial fluid analysis (shows uric acid crystals)
• Joint X- rays
• Synovial biopsy
• Uric acid- urine

Be informed that not everyone with high uric acid levels in the blood has gout.