Gout Specialist

What is gout?

Gout, as well as pseudogout, are diseases that affect your joints. Gout causes crystal deposits to build up in the affected tissues. It can lead to joint damage, excruciating pain, and other complications when left untreated.

What are the symptoms of gout?

The common symptoms of gout include:

• Intense big-toe joint pain
• Tender, swollen joints
• Ongoing joint discomfort
• Redness
• Warmth
• Inflammation
• Limited range of motion

While gout often affects your big toe joint, pseudogout usually affects your knees and, less often, your ankles or wrists. Gout increases your risk of developing kidney stones and suffering joint damage when left untreated.

What are the risk factors for gout?

Anyone can develop gout, but some things increase your risk of experiencing it, including:

• Poor dietary habits
• Consuming sugar-sweetened drinks
• Eating a lot of red meat or shellfish
• Alcohol consumption
• Being overweight
• Some medications
• Recent joint trauma or surgery
• Family history of gout
• Some medical conditions

Medical conditions that raise your risk of developing gout or pseudogout include thyroid disorders and high blood pressure. Diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease also increase your risk of getting gout.

Your risk of pseudogout increases with mineral imbalances, especially if you have too little magnesium or excess calcium or iron in your blood.

How does my doctor diagnose gout?

To find out if you have gout, the Rheumatology Associates team reviews your symptoms and medical history. They check your vital signs and complete a physical exam to evaluate the affected joints and look for signs of gout.

They’ll probably order blood tests, joint fluid tests, and an imaging procedure (X-rays, ultrasound, etc.) to diagnose your condition and develop a treatment plan.

How is gout treated?

Common treatments for gout and pseudogout include adopting healthy habits, taking oral medications, receiving injections, or having the affected joints drained. Resting the affected joints and applying ice packs to them can also help.

Get regular exercise, eat healthy foods, limit or avoid alcohol and sugar-sweetened drinks, and lose weight if you’re overweight. Reduce your intake of red meat, liver, other organ meats, and seafood. Your Rheumatology Associates specialist can give you a better idea of which foods to eat and which to avoid.

Call the Rheumatology Associates office today or schedule an appointment online if you suspect that you have gout or pseudogout and want relief.