Gout Symptoms and Conditions

Gout gives no warnings or signs of it's impending debut. The onset of gout symptoms and conditions are acute, meaning they are rapid. The first signs of a gout attack usually happen in the big toe (podagra), and are accompanied by pain, swelling, redness, and inflammation. Although the big toe is usually the first hit by an attack of gout, other joints of the body are susceptible as well.

Gout develops in four stages:

• Asymptomatic - There may be high uric acid levels but no gout symptoms


• Acute - Rapid onset without warning and peaks and resolves within ten days.


• Intercritical - The period between attacks and no symptoms exist.


• Chronic - Attacks are recurrent characterized by unrelenting painful polyarthritis

Other areas of gout attack include:

• Feet


• Ankles


• Knees


• Hands


• Wrists

Urate crystals form, due to the high level of uric acid on the blood stream. These crystals can deposit in the soft tissue around the joint, known as tophi, as well as inside the joint area. Gout is a form of arthritis that can recur causing excruciating pain, and can be debilitating as well.

Gout can also be the cause of other conditions such as:

Arthropathy - A pathology or abnormality of a joint. A common form is called crystal arthropathy, which is the accumulation of monosodium urate crystals in the joint, usually associated with gout. It is a painful condition that can cause the joints to appear deformed.

Carpal tunnel syndrome - Painful condition caused by compression of a nerve in the wrist. A band of fibrous tissue supports the wrist joint. The carpal tunnel is the space that lies between the wrist and this band of tissue, innervated by the median nerve that gets sensations from the thumb, index, and middle fingers. If the median nerve becomes irritated for any reason, the results are tingling and numbness of the digits of the hand. This is what is known as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Neutrophilia - Elevated number of neutrophil granulocytes in the blood. Neutrophils are white blood cells (WBC) that function to destroy bacteria and fungi in the body. High levels of these killer cells result in neutrophilia, and is the mos common form of leukocytosis, or increased leukocytes in the blood. Absolute neutrophilia is the increase of leukocytes and neutrophils, causing a neutrophil count to elevate above 8,000.

Pyrexia - The medical name for fever, in which there is an elevated body temperature of over 100 degrees.

Scleritis - Inflammation of the sclera (the "whites" of the eyes). It may be localized, nodular, or diffuse, and is characterized by redness and eye pain, which worsens on eye movement. Pain may extend to the eyebrow, temple, or jaw, and travels along the trigeminal nerve.

Absolutely, if you are having any of the above gout symptoms and conditions, it is important to contact your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment.

by Barb Hicks, RN