Gout is a form of arthritis that usually strikes the joint at the base of your big toe, known as the metatarsophalangeal joint. About 90% of women and men who have gout initially or eventually develop the disease in this joint.
The metatarsophalangeal joint bears most of the stress when you walk or run, which makes it particularly susceptible to insult and injury.
However, gout can affect other areas of your body, too. You may develop gout in your:
When you have gout, the pain can be excruciating and may wake you up at night. Your affected joint may also become swollen and hot to the touch. About 6.1 million men and 2.2 million women in the United States have gout. You’re more likely to develop gout if you:
Kimberly Bolling, MD, is a caring and expert clinician who’s an expert at diagnosing and treating gout. If you think you have gout, she encourages you to seek an evaluation at our offices in Bowie, Maryland, for a diagnosis and customized treatment plan.
Do you think you have gout? Here’s what you should do.
Although pain and swelling of the big toe is a classic symptom of gout, it’s not the only cause of pain in or around the metatarsophalangeal joint. Other conditions that may cause toe pain and swelling include:
As you can imagine, with such a variety of potential causes, the treatment plan would differ for each. That’s why the first step is finding out if the pain you’re experiencing is caused by gout, another condition, or an injury.
The sooner you know you have gout, the sooner you can start to make the types of changes that can keep your toe joint — and the rest of you — safe and pain-free.
Unfortunately, without treatment and careful attendance, gout can progress to more severe stages. The four stages of gout are:
High uric acid without kidney stones or gout. You don’t need treatment, but you may want to adopt an anti-gout diet.
Acute flares of gout pain in one or more joints. Gout attacks can last from hours to a couple of weeks. The pain is usually most severe in the first few hours.
Intercritical periods in which you don’t have an attack, but are at risk for one.
Frequent gout attacks. You also have lumps of uric acid crystals. Even between gout flares, you may have chronic pain.
The earlier you catch gout and start treatment, the less likely it is that gout will progress to more severe stages.
If you think you have gout, or if you’re at risk for it due to your family or personal history, you might consider developing a diet that’s low in a substance called purines. Normally, your body breaks purines down into urate and passes it out of the body through your urine.
However, if you eat a high-purine diet or if you have compromised kidney function, you might not be able to excrete all of the urate. Instead, it collects in your blood and forms needle-sharp crystals in your joint tissues.
You may be able to lessen the number and severity of gout attacks by eliminating or reducing purines in your diet. Foods that are high in purines include:
Drinking plenty of water every day and exercising regularly can also help you manage gout. If you’re overweight, Dr. Bolling helps you get to a healthy, stable weight with medical weight loss management.
Dr. Bolling helps you devise a gout-friendly diet that also is delicious and fulfilling. You can start by planning your meals and snacks around low-purine foods, such as:
Do you suspect you have gout? Find out for sure and get a customized gout treatment plan by calling our office at 301-352-0090. Or simply request an appointment online today.
