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Gout is a type of arthritis that affects your joints. It is caused by the buildup of uric acid in your body. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may be time to see your Filipino doctor about gout treatment.
What are the Common Gout Symptoms?
Here are the 7 common gout symptoms that Filipinos should be aware of.
1. Joint Pain
Any joint can develop gout, but the big toe is typically affected. Ankle, knee, elbow, wrist, and finger joints are among those that are frequently impacted. Most likely, the first four to 12 hours after the pain starts will be the most painful.
2. Swelling And Redness In Your Joints
Affected joints develop swelling, tenderness, warmth, and redness.
3. Tenderness When Moving Your Joints
Tenderness is a common complaint among those who experience gout. When you move your joints, especially your feet and hands, you may find that they are particularly tender. This is likely due to the inflammation and swelling that is common in gout patients. To minimize any discomfort, it is important to be as gentle as possible when moving your joints.
4. Excessive Heat Or Cold Sensation In Your Joints
Excessive heat or cold sensation in your joints is due to uric acid build-up.
5. Aching And Cramping In Your Muscles
Gout is a very common disease that affects the joints. It is caused by an increase in uric acid levels in the blood. This occurs when there is an increase in the number of crystals formed in the body as a result of too much protein and alcohol consumption, smoking, or genetics. The crystals can form in any joint, but they most commonly form in the joint between the big toe and second toe on each foot. These crystals can cause intense pain and inflammation.
6. Urine Chalkiness or Cloudiness
In general, when a person has gout, their urine will be more alkaline than usual. This can cause the urine to become cloudy or chalky. Additionally, because of the increased urination, the person may also experience increased thirst and urination.
7. Numbness Or Tingling In Your Extremities
Numbness or tingling in your extremities could be a sign of gout. This debilitating condition is caused by uric acid build-up in your body, which can cause joint pain and swelling. If left untreated, gout can lead to other health problems, such as kidney stones and heart problems.
What Are The Causes of Gout?
When uric crystals build up in a joint, gout develops, resulting in gout attacks that are accompanied by severe pain and inflammation. High blood uric acid levels can cause uric crystals to develop. Purines, which are organic compounds in your body, are broken down by your body to form uric acid.
In some foods, such as red meat and organ meats like liver, purines can also be found. Anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, and tuna are among the seafood sources of purines. Higher amounts of uric acid are encouraged by alcoholic beverages, notably beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose).
Urinary excretion of uric acid from the body normally occurs after it dissolves in the blood and moves through the kidneys. However, occasionally, either your body makes too much uric acid or your kidneys discharge too much of it.
Who Are At Risk of Developing Gout?
If your body contains excessive quantities of uric acid, you are more prone to develop gout. Your body’s level of uric acid can rise as a result of the following factors:
- Consuming foods high in uric acid, such as red meat and shellfish, as well as beverages sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose).
- Being overweight.
- Untreated high blood pressure and chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and heart and kidney diseases.
- Low-dose aspirin and several drugs used to treat hypertension, such as thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and beta blockers
- If other family members have the condition.
- Men experience gout more frequently than women, largely because women typically have lower uric acid levels. However, after menopause, women’s uric acid levels begin to resemble those of men. Men are also more likely to experience the signs and symptoms of gout earlier than women do, typically between the ages of 30 and 50.
- A gout attack can occasionally be brought on by recent surgery or trauma. A gout flare-up can occur in some patients after having a vaccine.
What Are Some Medications for Gout?
The main way that gout is treated is by reducing the amount of uric acid in the body. This can be done through medications, lifestyle changes, or a combination of both. Some people may also need to have surgery to remove the excess uric acid from their system.
There are a few medications that are specifically used to treat gout. The most common one is Allopurinol, which is a drug that helps to reduce the amount of uric acid in the body. Other medications that can be used to treat gout include Benzoic acid inhibitors (such as Zovirax), Colchicine, and Probenecid. These medications work by reducing the amount of uric acid in the body or by stopping its progression. Some people also use NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen) as a short-term treatment for gout, but these drugs should not be taken for longer than 10 days because they can increase the risk of heart disease.
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)
NSAIDs include over-the-counter medicines like Ibuprofen and Naproxen Sodium, as well as stronger prescription NSAIDs such Indomethacin, Celecoxib, or Naproxen hydrochloride. With NSAIDs, there is a chance of stomach bleeding, ulcers, and pain.
Colchicine
Colchicine (Colcrys, Gloperba, Mitigare), an anti-inflammatory medication that significantly lessens gout discomfort, may be suggested by your rheumatology doctor in the Philippines. The negative effects of the medication, such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, may outweigh its benefits.
Corticisteroids
Prednisone and other corticosteroid drugs may reduce the pain and inflammation associated with gout. You can take corticosteroids orally or have them injected directly into your joint. Corticosteroids’ adverse effects can include raised blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, and mood disturbances.
How Is Gout Diagnosed?
In most cases, gout is determined by your symptoms and the way the diseased joint looks. Gout-related tests could involve the following:
- Joint Fluid Test – Your Filipino doctor might use a needle to extract fluid from the troubled joint. When the fluid is viewed under a microscope, uric crystals may be seen.
- X-Ray Imaging – Joint X-rays can be useful in excluding other potential causes of inflammation in the joints.
- Blood Chemistry Examinations – To check the amounts of uric acid in your blood, your doctor in the Philippines can suggest a blood test. But blood test outcomes can be deceptive. Despite having high levels of uric acid, some people never get gout. Additionally, not everyone with gout has abnormally high blood levels of uric acid. Instead, they may exhibit the signs and symptoms of gout.
- Ultrasound – This examination makes use of sound waves to find uric crystals in tophi or joints.
- Dual-energy computerized tomography (DECT) – To see uric crystals in joints, this technique combines X-ray pictures acquired from several angles.
What Foods Should I Avoid To Prevent Gout?
Gout is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a natural compound found in healthy Filipino foods and drinks. However, too much uric acid can lead to gout. Filipino foods that are high in purine content, such as dried fruits, Batangas lomi, Kare-Kare, and street food, such as isaw, can increase your risk of gout. Additionally, drinking alcohol can also increase your risk of developing gout. In summary, try to avoid:
- Alcohol
- Red meats
- Dairy products
- Saturated fats
- Sugars
- Salt
We have written comprehensive Filipino foods to avoid if you suffer from gout.
Are there Home Remedies For Gout?
- The best technique to manage gout attacks and stop reoccurring symptom flare-ups is frequently with medication. You might want to, however, consider the following lifestyle choices:
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol and fruit-flavored beverages (fructose). As an alternative, consume lots of water and other non-alcoholic drinks.
- Your risk of gout is lower if you maintain a healthy weight for your body. Pick low-impact exercises that are easy on your joints, such walking, cycling, and swimming.
- In particular, liver and red meat are rich sources of purines. Anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout, and tuna are some examples of seafood high in purines. For those who are prone to gout, low-fat dairy products might be a preferable source of protein.
Conclusion: Gout Symptoms And How Filipinos Can Treat Them
If you are experiencing any of these warning signs, it may be time to see your Filipino doctor about gout treatment. There are many treatments available for gout, including medication and lifestyle changes.
Resources: Gout Symptoms And How Filipinos Can Treat Them
- Gout – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic
- Treatments for gout – American Kidney Fund
- Gout Treatment : Medications and Lifestyle Adjustments | Medicines for gout attacks – Hopkins Arthritis
- Allopurinol: medicine used to treat gout – NHS
- Gout | Arthritis – CDC
- Gout: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention – Cleveland Clinic
- Gout | Causes, symptoms, treatments – Versus Arthritis
Disclaimer: Gout Symptoms And How Filipinos Can Treat Them
This website is intended to educate both members of the general public and those working in the medical field on the prevalence, causes, and methods for preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases that affect people throughout their lives. This website’s content is provided solely for informational reasons and is not meant to serve as a substitute for the advice of a qualified medical practitioner.
