Gout causes intense joint pain for about 9 million people in the United States. If you need help managing gout flare-ups, you can find solutions at Gateway Foot and Ankle Center. The experienced podiatry team offers in-office evaluations and lab work to confirm your symptoms related to gout. They also create a treatment plan to manage gout in the long term, so you can live a pain-free, active life. Call the office in Nashville, Clarksville, or Erin, Tennessee, or in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, or schedule an appointment online today.
Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis that typically affects the big toe joint but can also occur in other places, such as the knees and fingers. The condition develops when uric acid levels build up in your body and form crystals that stab your toe joint.
Uric acid naturally occurs in your body to break down purines from the foods you eat. The acid can build up in your tissues, joints, and other fluids if you eat a lot of red meat, organ meat, sardines, tuna, or other foods high in purines.
Other risk factors for gout include:
Males may also have an increased risk for gout than females.
Gout symptoms tend to flare up for a period of time and then go into a remission. For some, remission can last for weeks, months, or years before you experience a recurrence of symptoms.
The team at Gateway Foot and Ankle Center recommends that you schedule a diagnostic evaluation if you have gout symptoms in your big toe or any joint in your body. These symptoms can include:
You can expect to have a physical exam and may need X-rays or other diagnostic imaging tests to confirm gout during a flare-up. The team may also request lab tests to assess the levels of uric acid in your joint.
After confirming you have gout, the team customizes a treatment plan to relieve your pain and lower your risk for future flare-ups.
While there’s no cure for gout, Gateway Foot and Ankle Center offers treatments to help you manage your symptoms in the long term.
Your treatment plan may include medications to ease pain and inflammation. You may also need medications to lower uric acid levels in your blood to prevent flare-ups.
It’s also important that you make diet and lifestyle changes to manage gout. These changes may include:
The team may also recommend changes to certain medications you take for other health conditions.
Call the Gateway Foot and Ankle Center office nearest you to schedule a gout consultation or book an appointment online today.