What causes gout
Gout is a common metabolic disease that mainly manifests as joint pain, redness, swelling, and inflammation, especially at night or early in the morning. In recent years, with changes in lifestyle, the incidence of gout has increased year by year, becoming one of the health hotspots of public concern. So, what exactly causes gout? This article will analyze it for you from multiple angles.
1. Main causes of gout
The main cause of gout is excessive uric acid levels in the body, which leads to the deposition of uric acid crystals in joints and surrounding tissues, triggering an inflammatory response. Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism. When too much uric acid is produced or too little is excreted, it can lead to hyperuricemia and then induce gout.
| Cause classification | specific factors |
|---|---|
| Too much uric acid production | High purine diet (such as seafood, red meat, animal offal), excessive alcohol intake, genetic factors |
| Decreased uric acid excretion | Renal insufficiency, certain medications (such as diuretics), obesity, metabolic syndrome |
| Other triggers | Dehydration, strenuous exercise, trauma, surgery, infection |
2. Typical symptoms of gout
Symptoms of gout usually manifest as sudden joint pain, especially in the big toe joint (called "gouty arthritis"). Other common symptoms include:
| Symptoms | Description |
|---|---|
| joint pain | Severe pain, usually at night or early in the morning, lasting several hours to days |
| Redness, swelling and heat | Affected joints become red, swollen, warm, and painful when touched |
| Restricted activities | Limited joint movement, which may affect walking in severe cases |
| tophi | Long-term hyperuricemia may cause uric acid crystals to form tophi under the skin |
3. Prevention and treatment of gout
The key to preventing and treating gout is controlling uric acid levels. The following are common prevention and treatment measures:
| measures | Specific methods |
|---|---|
| diet modification | Reduce your intake of high-purine foods and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products |
| Limit alcohol | Especially beer and spirits, alcohol inhibits uric acid excretion |
| drink more water | Drink 2000-3000 ml of water daily to promote uric acid excretion |
| drug treatment | Uric acid-lowering drugs (such as allopurinol, febuxostat), anti-inflammatory drugs (such as colchicine) |
| control weight | Obesity is a risk factor for gout, and moderate weight loss can help reduce uric acid levels |
4. Common misunderstandings about gout
There are some common misunderstandings among the public about gout. The following are clarifications:
| Misunderstanding | truth |
|---|---|
| Only the elderly get gout | Gout can occur at any age, especially in young people with unhealthy lifestyles |
| Gout is just joint pain and does not require treatment | Long-term hyperuricemia may lead to complications such as kidney stones and renal damage. |
| You can stop taking the medicine as long as there is no pain | Gout requires long-term control of uric acid levels, and stopping medication without authorization may lead to recurrence. |
5. Summary
Gout is a disease closely related to lifestyle. Factors such as a high-purine diet, alcohol intake, and obesity can lead to elevated uric acid levels, which can lead to gout. The key to preventing and treating gout is to control diet, drink plenty of water, exercise moderately, and use medications rationally. If you have symptoms of gout, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly to avoid worsening of the condition.
Through the analysis of this article, I hope you will have a clearer understanding of the causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment of gout. A healthy lifestyle is the key to staying away from gout. May you have a pain-free and healthy life!
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