Where does gout commonly affect?

Gout usually only occurs in one joint at a time. It is often found on the big toe. Along with the big toe, the joints that are commonly affected are the lower toe, ankle and knee joints. Gout causes pain and swelling in one or more joints.

It usually affects the big toe. But it's also found in other joints, such as the knee, ankle, foot, hand, wrist, and elbow. Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. It causes sudden, intense attacks of joint pain, often on the big toe and at night.

It can also affect the joints of other toes, ankle, or knee. People with finger osteoarthritis may experience their first gout attack on the finger joints. Acute gout attacks are characterized by a rapid onset of pain in the affected joint, followed by heat, swelling, reddish discoloration, and marked tenderness. The small joint at the base of the big toe is the most common site of an attack.

Other joints that may be affected include the ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows. In some people, acute pain is so severe that even a sheet that touches the toe causes severe pain. These painful attacks usually go away in a matter of hours or days, with or without medication. Rarely, an attack can last for weeks.

Most people with gout will experience repeated episodes over the years. Gout often affects the big toe joint. However, it can affect small joints, such as those in the finger, as well as large joints, such as the knee and hip. The joint most commonly involved in gout is the first metatarsophalangeal joint (the big toe) and is called podagra.

Any joint can be involved in a gout attack (and there can be more than one) and the most common sites are the feet, ankles, knees and elbows. Gout treatment focuses on relieving pain during acute attacks, preventing future gout attacks, and reducing the risk of developing typhus and permanent joint injuries. It is important to note that gout and infection can coexist in the same joint (they are not mutually exclusive) and the possibility of sending joint fluid for culture should be considered even in patients with an established history of gout if they are at risk of infection. They can also talk about changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to prevent and reduce gout attacks.

Maintaining adequate fluid intake helps prevent acute gout attacks and reduces the risk of kidney stones formation in people with gout. While most patients will have high levels of uric acid in their blood for many years before having their first gout attack, treatment is currently not recommended during this period due to the absence of clinical signs or symptoms of gout. Serum uric acid concentrations may support the diagnosis of gout, but the presence of hyperuricemia or normal uric acid concentrations alone do not confirm or rule out the diagnosis of gout, since uric acid levels can often be normal during an acute gout attack. Most of the damage and complications caused by gout can be stopped if you take medications to lower urate levels and have a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Gout occurs when urate crystals build up in the joint, causing the inflammation and severe pain of a gout attack.