Ankle Gout
A Quick Guide to Ankle Gout
You heard something about gout and what you heard makes you think that you might have ankle gout. How can you tell? Do you even know exactly what gout is? Gout is something that can impact both men and women. It can happen to just about anyone. The good news is that gout is treatable as long as you see a doctor, get a confirmed diagnosis and follow treatment orders.
So, what exactly is gout? Gout happens when the body makes too much uric acid and little crystals begin to form. These little crystals then wedge themselves into tissues in the body. The crystals are especially fond of settling in the tissues of the joints. When the crystals make their home in the joints, it causes joint inflammation, otherwise called arthritis. If this condition goes untreated, it can cause the joint to deteriorate as well as diminish the efficiency of the kidneys. Kidney stones may also become a problem.
Knowing the symptoms of gout can prepare anyone at risk to be able to seek medical assistance at the first sign of an attack. Gout will most often occur in a joint, causing acute pain. Some people feel it first in their big toe but it can also first appear in any extremity like the feet, ankles, hands, wrists and knees. Redness and swelling often accompany the pain. A fever can also accompany these symptoms.
If for some reason an individual does not see a doctor and gout goes untreated, he or she may have to endure this intense pain for a week to ten day before the discomfort goes away. When this happens, it will seem like the joint has gone back to normal. While it may seem like everything is fine, leaving gout untreated can lead to more pain and deterioration in the joint.
Some of these symptoms might sound like they could be confusing or similar to arthritic pain in some people. You should seek a diagnosis when you feel a sudden, acute pain in any joint especially if you have never experienced a sensation like it in the past. If you have a joint that is abnormally warm to the touch or you have a fever, you should seek immediate medical attention. This could be the sign of an infection caused by gout.
You might also want to consider that there are people more prone to developing gout than others. People can inherit the inability to be able to normally handle uric acid in their bodies, but there are additional traits that put people at risk. This includes anyone who abuses alcohol, is obese, experiences rapid weight gain in a short period of time, has high blood pressure or atypical kidney function. Unfortunately some medications can increase levels of uric acid in the body that can result in gout like low-dose aspirin, thiazide diuretics, niacin and medications used to treat tuberculosis. People who suffer with lymphomas, leukemia and hemoglobin disorders are also at risk.
Understanding gout, the risk factors and symptoms can be overwhelming and frightening, but if you feel that you fit into one or more of the categories discussed here and are experiencing the symptoms, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. Remember that you can have ankle gout, knee gout and gout in any of the joints in your body.
Gout can be diagnosed, treated and managed. Patients may have to take medication on a regular basis to manage the uric acid in their body as well as implement dietary changes to prevent future attacks. Exercise is also a common method used to help gout patients avoid future occurrences.
The first thing anyone should do when they feel that there is something wrong but they aren’t sure what it might be is to see their doctor. While you may have the symptoms of gout, there could be another problem or alternative diagnosis that needs immediate attention. Ankle gout isn’t something to be taken lightly and neither are the symptoms. Don’t take your health into your own hands and get a medical professional to help you.