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What is gout?Gout is a common and painul condition that aectsthe joints. Small crystals orm in and around the joint,causing inammation, pain and swelling. Tese crystalsare made o one o the bodys normal waste products,

uric acid. Normally the body rids itsel o extra uric acidthrough the kidneys into the urine. However this doesnot happen ast enough in people with gout. Tis causesuric acid levels to build up and the crystals to orm.

Who is afected by gout?Tere are two main groups o people commonly aectedby gout:

menbetweentheagesof40and50years olderpeopletakingdiuretics(alsoknownaswater

pills or tablets which help the body get rid o water).

Gout in pre-menopausal women is rare and your doctormay wish to urther investigate your symptoms.

What are the symptoms?An attack o gout usually comes on very quickly, otenovernight. Te joint becomes very red, swollen andextremely painul. Oten the joint is intensely sore totouch. Gout normally aects one joint at a time, oten the

joint o the big toe. Other joints, such as the hands, wrists,

knees, ankles and elbows, can also be aected by gout.

What causes it?Gout is usually caused by your kidneys not ushinguric acid out o your body quickly enough. Gout runsin amilies, although not all amily members will beaected. Tere are some liestyle actors which mayincrease your risk o developing gout, including:

drinkingalcoholdehydration(notdrinkingenoughwater)beingoverweightorovereating

crashdietingorfastingeatingcertainfoods(seenextpage).

Takingdiuretics(watertablets)and/orhavingkidneydisease also increases your risk o developing gout.

How is it diagnosed?Gout is diagnosed by nding crystals o uric acid in uidtaken rom your joint. Your doctor may test your urineto see i your body is getting rid o extra amounts o uricacid. Uric acid levels can also be measured by blood tests,however these are not always accurate. Uric acid levels maybe normal or even lowered during an attack or gout. Bloodtests are most useul in ruling out other types o jointinections or arthritis. X-rays are oten normal in the earlystages o gout so are not very useul in diagnosing gout.

What will happen to me?Without treatment, a gout attack usually lasts aboutone week. Another attack may not happen or monthsor even years. I gout is not managed well, the timebetween attacks may get shorter, the attacks more severeand the joints can be permanently damaged. Sometimesgoutcanprogressintoachronic(longterm)condition,causing:

constantmildpain&inammationoftheaected

joints

tophi-soliddeposits(lumps)ofuricacidcrystals,especially on the ears, ngers, hands, orearms, knees,and elbow

kidneystones.

What can I do during a gout attack?You should see your doctor when you have your rstattack o gout. Your doctor will recommend certain

GoutTis sheet has been written or people aected by gout. It provides general inormationto help you understand gout and how to manage it. Tis sheet also covers ways to tryto prevent gout and where to nd more inormation.

ARTHRITISINFORMATION SHEET

1800 011 041 www.arthritisaustralia.com.au

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For more inormation:BooksEmmerson,Bryan2003,Gettingridofgout:A guideto management and prevention, Oxord University Press,Melbourne.

Websites Te Arthritis Research Campaignwww.arc.org.uk

American College o Rheumatologywww.rheumatology.org

ArthritisFoundation(US)www.arthritis.org

Te Dietitians Association o Australia can help you

ndadietitianatwww.daa.asn.au

medicines to reduce pain and inammation caused bygout, including:

non-steroidalanti-inammatorydrugs(NSAIDs) corticosteroidinjectionsortablets colchicine.

Always talk to your doctor or pharmacist beore youstart taking any medicines. You may also need to protectthe aected joint. For example, i your big toe is aectedyou may need to limit the amount o walking you doand create a bed cradle to keep your sheets o your

oot when youre in bed. See the Dealing with paininormation sheet or tips on coping with pain.

Can gout be prevented?Te good news is that gout can be prevented. alk toyour doctor about ways to prevent gout, including:

Medicines: Tere are medicines that can lower uric acidlevels in your blood. Tese medicines need to be takenevery day, whether you are having an attack or not.

Alcohol: Cut down the amount o alcohol you drinkandavoiddrinkingalotofalcoholatonetime(bingedrinking). alk to your doctor or visit

www.alcohol.gov.au or Australian Governmentguidelines on recommended alcohol intake.

Weight loss: I you are overweight, lose weight gradually.Makesureyouhaveahealthydietascrashorstarvationdiets can actually increase uric acid levels. See a dietitianor advice.

Changes in your diet: It is believed that some oods maytrigger attacks o gout. Tese oods tend to contain highlevels o purines, a substance that can be made into uricacid in the body. However not all purine-rich oods arethought to cause gout. Tere is also very little scienticproo that avoiding purine-rich oods can successully

reduce gout attacks. See the Gout and dietinormationsheet or more inormation about reducing the risk ogout attacks through changes in your diet.

Pseudogout is oten mistaken as gout as it causes similarsymptoms. However it is the result o a dierent type ocrystal, called calcium pyrophosphate crystals, orming inthe joint. Tese crystals tend to orm in the cartilage, thesmooth coating lining the ends o the bones. Pseudogout isdiagnosed by nding calcium pyrophosphate crystals in the

fuid o an aected joint. It is a separate condition rom

gout and may require dierent treatment.CONAC YOUR LOCAL ARHRIIS OFFICE FORMORE INFORMAION SHEES ON ARHRIIS.

Untreated gout can cause permanent damage to the joints.

Learn ways to prevent an attack o gout.

CopyrightArthritisAustralia2007.ReviewedJanuary2011.Source: A ull list o the reerences used to compile this sheet is available rom your local Arthritis Ofce

Te Australian General Practice Network, Australian Physiotherapy Association, Australian Practice Nurses Association, Pharmaceutical Society o Australia and RoyalAustralian College o General Practitioners contributed to the development o this act sheet. Te Australian Government has provided unding to support this project.

Disclaimer: This sheet is published by Arthritis Australia for information purposes only and should not be used in place of medical advice.

Your local Arthritis Office has information, education and support for people with arthritis

Freecall 1800 011 041 www.arthritisaustralia.com.au