Gout Symptoms

Gout: Introduction

Gout is an agonizingly painful and common form of arthritis. It occurs through elevated levels of uric acid in the bloodstream.

Such a buildup of uric acid then forms into crystals that get deposited into your tendons, joints and surrounding tissues. This results in swollen joints, which can become very painful. Gout is found to mostly affect your arms and legs.

What are the Gout Symptoms?

Symptoms of gout are very specific but also apparent and easy to identify. When the big toe joint turns severely painful, it is an indication of gout. In fact, it is one of the main characteristic symptoms and signs of gout.

The symptoms are sometimes so severe that they can wake you from sleep or keep you awake, depriving sleep. This, in medical term is called podagra that requires to be treated with medications.

You often experience joint pain with severity, this is more so in joints of your foot. Left medically unattended, gout can become chronic. The condition of gout can occur, besides the big toe, in other body parts such as wrists, elbows, knees and ankles.

Some of the common gout signs and symptoms:

• Severe pain of the joints
• Tenderness of affected area
• Skin grows red, warm and shiny
• Swollen joints
• Fever

The affected joints are very painful, especially in the initial twelve hours and spanning up to a day. Such pain can become intensely discomforting but fades off gradually and lingers around for a couple of weeks. Thereafter, you may find some sort of reprieve.

In some cases tophi, lumps that form below skin and around the joints may occur. These joints may give off a chalky discharge. Tophi can develop in patients who have had gout for a considerable period of time.

Patients with chronic gout often are found taking long term prescriptions as it becomes necessary to keep the severe and painful gout symptoms at bay.