🦶 Gout
📝 Last reviewed: August 2026
| In brief | Painful inflammatory arthritis that strikes when uric acid crystals build up in a joint, often the big toe. |
|---|---|
| Category | Musculoskeletal |
🔍 What causes it
Gout happens when blood uric acid stays too high and needle-like crystals form inside a joint. Uric acid comes from normal cell breakdown and from food; the kidneys usually filter it out in urine. Risk rises with purine-heavy diets such as red meat and seafood, alcohol, sugary drinks, kidney problems and family history. Men are affected far more often than women.
⚠️ Key symptoms
- Sudden severe pain in a joint, often the big toe at night
- A joint that is swollen, red, hot and very tender to touch
- Pain that lingers for days after the worst of the attack fades
- Attacks that return, sometimes with fever and chills
- Firm lumps called tophi made of crystals under the skin
💊 Treatment
Doctors treat attacks with anti-inflammatory pain relief and prescribe medicines that lower uric acid to prevent repeat attacks and joint damage. Between attacks, gentle low-impact exercise such as swimming, cycling or walking keeps joints flexible, and losing weight reduces strain. Cutting back on alcohol, sugary drinks and purine-rich foods helps. See a doctor for a proper diagnosis; do not self-medicate.
🛡️ Prevention
Drink plenty of water, limit alcohol and sugary drinks, and keep red meat and seafood to modest amounts. Staying active at a healthy weight lowers both uric acid and joint strain. If attacks keep returning, long-term urate-lowering medicine, taken as prescribed, is the real prevention.
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