Gout was once known as an affliction of the rich and powerful. This painful arthritic foot condition affected nobles and kings, and as a result, many myths grew up around gout.
Today, misinformation and myths continue to circulate about how you get gout, how the symptoms progress, and even what you should do to treat the condition.
Dr. Stephen G. Eichelsdorfer (“Dr. Ike”) and our foot and ankle experts at Town Center Foot & Ankle, use up-to-date scientific methodology to diagnose and relieve foot pain, including pain caused by gout.
For Arthritis Awareness Month, Dr. Ike debunks myths about gout and informs you about the truth of living with and caring for this type of arthritis.
Fact: While you might think that gout is a rare condition, it’s actually much more common than you may realize. More than 9 million American adults suffer from gout. If you have gout, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to figure out treatment for your symptoms on your own, either.
Fact: In the past, gout was often observed in overweight and obese people. Dietary elements that contribute to developing gout were historically more available to richer classes, and sometimes went hand-in-hand with overconsumption and obesity.
While gout may affect people with higher body weight, being overweight doesn’t directly cause gout.
Fact: Although gout isn’t directly associated with obesity, it does relate to your diet, including both what you eat and what you drink. Dietary and lifestyle changes may be part of your treatment plan for gout. You need to focus on avoiding foods high in purines. Here’s why.
Your body naturally produces purines, which are also found in foods and drinks like red meat, organ meats, shellfish, beer and other kinds of alcohol, and beverages that are high in fructose. Breaking down purines in your digestive system produces uric acid.
The uric acid should dissolve in your blood and exit your body through your urine, after filtering through your kidneys. But if you retain too much uric acid, urate crystals form around joints in your body, causing gout symptoms.
Fact: While the amount of purine-rich foods you eat can absolutely contribute to your first gout flare-up, your diet isn’t the whole story. Gout also relates to genetic factors beyond your control.
Changing your diet can make a difference in your vulnerability to gout, but you need other forms of treatment, too. Dr. Ike recommends medications to help with your gout, as well as dietary changes.
Fact: A flareup of gout can be extremely painful, limiting your quality of life and affecting your overall health and wellness.
Gout attacks produce inflammation and swelling around affected joints, often those in feet and ankles. And without the right treatment, repeated gout attacks can permanently damage your joints.
Fact: The first effects of gout tend to appear in the joint at the base of your big toe, but that’s not the only joint in your body you need to be concerned about if you have gout. That’s especially true if you’re affected by other types of arthritis, as those joints have a higher risk of gout flares.
Gout typically starts in your feet and ankles, and can start to affect joints higher up in your body, such as your knees, elbows, and wrists, if not treated.
Fact: Gout attacks can flare up and recede repeatedly. Your symptoms clearing up doesn’t mean that the underlying condition is gone. And attacks become more painful and long-lasting the longer the condition remains untreated.
You need support to manage gout. For diagnosis and treatment, contact Dr. Eichelsdorfer at Town Center Foot & Ankle in Kingwood, Texas, today. Request your appointment over the phone or online now.
