Symptoms and Risk Factors of Gout
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Diseases such as cancer, diabetes and depression may be illnesses dealt with often today, but according to medicinenet.com, gout is one of the most common and documented medical conditions in history.
Gout occurs when uric acid, a substance created when purines break down, accumulates in the body. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) states that the uric acid collects when the body produces a high amount of the acid, kidneys do not dispose of the acid, and individuals eat a great amount of foods containing purines. Purines exist in body tissue and are most often digested through foods including red-organ meats such as kidney and liver, seafood, including anchovies and sardines, foods rich in high-fructose syrup, liver, mushrooms, and legumes, such as dried beans and peas.
When too much uric acid exists in the body, urate crystals form and pile up in the joints. The mass of crystals can then lead to excessive pain, swelling, heat, redness and inflammation within the joints, also known as arthritis. Gout attacks most often occur in the base joint of the big toe, but pain is also common in the ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, fingers and heels.
According to the NIAMS website, most people are first affected by gout when they experience pain in their big toe that is so severe it often wakes them from their sleep. Gout experts state that the first series of gout attacks subside within three to ten days, and the following episodes may not occur for months or years.
Symptoms of Gout
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It is common for purine-containing vegetables to be listed as foods to avoid in gout, yet there is no evidence. Indeed, that advice is contrary to current knowledge. Rheumatologist Herbert Baraf, professor at George Washington University, was quoted in the Washington Post on 7 March 2011 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/07/AR201103...) saying that "As a practical matter, diet is not an effective treatment unless it involves substantial weight loss … a low-purine diet is not essential to the treatment of gout." A review of the lifestyle evidence (Choi 2010) specifically mentions to consume purine-rich vegetables “as they do not increase the risk of gout.” The review then says: “In fact, individuals who consumed vegetable protein in the highest quintile of intake actually had a 27% lower risk of gout compared with the lowest quintile.”
July 26, 2011 - 6:25pmA study of 92 men with gout and 92 controls found no link between purine intake and the occurrence of gout, or between fruit and vegetable intake and gout (Lyu 2003). The authors state that: “Our data support the observation that increased consumption of foods from plant sources, especially fruit and vegetables, reduce the risk of gout development.”
It is time for NIAMS to update their info. Way out-of-date. Happy to supply references.
Glenn Cardwell
Accredited Practising Dietitian
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