Can gout be reversed?

Patients can never be cured of gout. It is a long-term illness that can be controlled with a combination of medications to control the level of uric acid and anti-inflammatory drugs to treat an exacerbation. Gout is one of the most common inflammatory arthritis. The disease is due to the deposition of monosodium urate crystals.

These deposits are reversible with appropriate treatment, suggesting that gout is a curable disease. The main objective of gout is to reduce serum uric acid levels to a pre-established goal; there are different urate-reducing drugs (xanthine oxidase inhibitors, uricosuric and uricase inhibitors) through which this can be achieved. Proper treatment of gout also involves the correct management of acute eruptions and their prevention. To ensure adherence to treatment, it is necessary to explain to the patient what the objectives are.

The encouraging news is that almost all cases of gout are treatable. In fact, gout is one of the few forms of arthritis that can be treated and prevented, a general term for dozens of conditions that cause joint inflammation. The challenge is to ensure that people get the care they need for gout and continue to take medications. Unfortunately, joint damage cannot be reversed.

However, with treatment, any further damage to the joints can be prevented. In some cases, surgery may be used to remove large deposits of tofos (uric crystal) from under the skin. If you think you have symptoms of gout, talk to your doctor right away. While rheumatologists like me specialize in the advanced treatment of gout, primary care providers can help you prevent or control gout.

While 50% of all first gout attacks occur on the big toe, gout can occur in many other joints, including the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, and ankles. Several treatment options can help prevent gout from progressing to other joints and can help reduce the occurrence of acute gout attacks. A key differentiator between gout and other types of arthritis is that gout attacks occur abruptly, often over the course of a day, without warning.