Premium Essay

Gout

In:

Submitted By dhruvsingh
Words 642
Pages 3
The Disease of Kings

Gout, a disease commonly referred to as “The Disease of Kings or as “Rich Man’s Disease is considered a chronic and progressive disease. Chronic gout can also lead to crystal deposits (sodium orate) of uric acid (a normal byproduct of purines) in the tissues, particularly in and around the joints. Gout can cause sudden severe arthritis and may cause joint destruction, decreased kidney function, and kidney (nephrolithiasis). Gout has the unique distinction of being one of the most frequently recorded medical illnesses throughout history
When our body has too much of uric acid (commonly known as “hyperuricema”), some of the needle-shaped crystals tend to deposit outside the bloodstream, most commonly around the joints. The condition, when such deposits develop and cause severe pain, is commonly referred to as “gout”. Now the question that arises is why would our body have an excess of uric acid?
You yourself have the answer to this question,as it would not be completely wrong in generalizing, that gout is a man-made disease, and a result of the unhealthy lifestyle
Hyperuricemia (or too much uric acid in the body) may be caused by your body producing too much uric acid (90% of cases), or by your body's inability to get rid of the uric acid it has (10% of cases). .though anyone can get hyperuricemia, but it's most frequent in overweight men over 40 and post-menopausal women.
The few specific causes of gout are
Poor diet, being overweight, certain medications, Surgery. Environmental exposure. alcohol use (especially beer and red wine), certain type of anemia, high blood pressure (hypertension), the use of diuretics, renal (kidney) impairment, trauma, and genetics also play a role Joint injury Crash diets. Etc
Although this disease is curable, if not caught early it can have a serous damage to the body.

There are various symptoms, which

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Gout

...Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood, when uric acid levels in the blood are too high, the uric acid may form hard crystals in your joints. You overweight, drink too much alcohol, or eat too much meat and fish that are high in chemicals called purines. Some medicines, such as water pills (diuretics), can also bring on gout. What are the symptoms? The most common sign of gout is a nighttime attack of swelling, tenderness, redness, and sharp pain in your big toe . You can also get gout attacks in your foot, ankle, or knees. The attacks can last a few days or many weeks before the pain goes away. Another attack may not happen for months or years. See your doctor even if your pain from gout is gone. The buildup of uric acid that led to your gout attack can still harm your joints. How is gout diagnosed? Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and do a physical exam. Your doctor may also take a sample of fluid from your joint to look for uric acid crystals. This is the best way to test for gout. Your doctor may also do a blood test to measure the amount of uric acid in your blood. To stop a gout attack, your doctor can give you a shot of corticosteroids, or prescribe a large daily dose of one or more medicines. The doses will get smaller as your symptoms go away. Relief from a gout attack often begins within 24 hours if you start treatment right away. To ease the pain during a gout attack, rest the joint that hurts. Taking ibuprofen or another...

Words: 407 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Gout

...Gout Uric acid is a compound composed of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, and Hydrogen, and is produced by the metabolic breakdown of purine nucleotides. It is generally non-toxic, and is insoluble in water. High levels of uric acid in the body, can lead to many disorders, such as Diabetes Mellitus, kidney stones, and Gout. Gout is the inflammation of joints caused by an increased level of Uric acid (hyperuricemia) and has similar symptoms to Arthritis, but on an acute level. It is characterized by a red, tender, hot swollen area around joints; 50% of occurrences are around the joint of the big toe. Tophus (plural tophi) is a deposit formed from crystallized Uric acid, which deposits around joints, at the synovial fluid area, and is the main cause of gout, but not the only one. Extensive levels of Tophi often result in arthritis or chronic gout (gout that occurs every year or 2). Kidney stones, and Urate Nephropathy (rapid worsening of the kidney function), are also caused by hyperuricemia, where the excess amount of uric acid crystalizes and forms stones in the kidney, causing it to deteriorate. The joint pains usually begin during the night, due to the lower body temperature at that time, since lower body temperature promotes the crystallization of uric acid. Other symptoms include fatigue and a high fever. Unhealthy lifestyle, inheritance, and medical conditions can cause hyperuricemia, which then forms gout, and arthritis. 12% of the cases are caused by an unhealthy diet, which...

Words: 707 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Gout

...Wesley Price Week 5 Journal Gouty Arthritis (Gout) November 3, 2014 Gout is an arthritic condition primarily affecting the joints of the feet and ankles. Unlike osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, gout usually comes on very quickly and can be very painful. While there is no cure for it, there are numerous medications that treat its cause: excess uric acid buildup (Vanmeter, 2014). It can appear due to hereditary reasons, but is also triggered by certain foods and excessive alcohol use. If left untreated, it can also affect kidney function and form subcutaneous pockets of uric acid crystals, called trophi. Etiology: Most cases of gout are seen in males over the age of 40, but the largest increase in prevalence has been in males of 75. Various studies have been done, but they all suggest that the methods of diagnosis (clinical assessment and self-reporting) seem to inflate the actual numbers (Roddy, 2010). The prevalence in the US was about 9.5 per 1000 in 1985, and fell slightly to 8.4 per 1000 in 1992. U.K. and Chinese surveys also showed similar figures. Two studies were done (one in the U.S. and one in the U.K.) that followed approximately 6400 people for...

Words: 897 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Gout Research

...Gout is a common disease which is caused by the build up of uric acid in the joints, tissue deposition of uric acid crystals, and joint destruction if left untreated. Uric acid is a byproduct of purine metabolism. Lacking uricase, humans remove uric acid primarily by renal excretion.   "Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But sometimes your body either produces too much uric acid or your kidneys excrete too little uric acid.   When this happens, uric acid can build up, forming sharp, needle-like urate crystals in a joint or surrounding tissue that cause pain, inflammation and swelling" (Mayo Clinic).Gout results "from an elevated blood level of uric acid (hyperuricemia), which occurs when the liver produces more uric acid than the body can excrete in the urine, or when a diet high in rich foods" ("Podiatry Channel").   The rich foods which are known to cause Gout are red meat, heavy creams, and red wine.   Foods such as the ones mentioned tend to produce more uric acid than the kidneys can filter from the blood. (Francis, Mark).The pain or inflammation is known to start primarily at the big toe or ankle in which the pain is caused by build up of crystals of uric acid in the joints (Arthritis Foundation).   The symptoms known to go along with gout are redness, pain, inflammation, stiffness and swelling.   Touching or moving the toe or ankle leads to increased pain.   If gout is left untreated, this can often lead to damaged...

Words: 316 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Gout

...Gout Alyssa Burress Lamar University Background and Significance Gout is an inflammatory arthritis that currently affects five out of every 1000 people in the United States. It also is four times more prevalent in men than women and affects Caucasians slightly more than African Americans (Schub, 2012). “Gout has increased prevalence worldwide and it is the most common inflammatory arthritis in men” (Khanna, et al., 2012). The aging population with gout is becoming more of a concern due to the number of patients being seen for the disease. Gout generally affects men who are 30 to 50 years old and women over 60. The amount of people affected by gout and its inflammation has almost doubled within the past few decades. Gout is such an important topic and area of concern because, “according to estimates, between 100,000 and 300,000 gout patients in the United States do not achieve adequate control of hyperuricemia or gout-related symptoms” (Zychowicz, Pope, & Graser, 2010). Due to the indescribable pain associated with gout, quality of life is a major issue for patients diagnosed with it. Few diseases match the pain caused by gout. In the 17th century, gout left physician Thomas Sydenham unable to ‘endure the weight of the clothes nor the shaking of the room from a person’s walking briskly therein’. Reverend Sydney Smith described his attacks in the 19th century as like ‘walking on eyeballs’ (Greener, 2011). Evidence of uric acid deposition in joints has been found in...

Words: 3733 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Gout Paper

...Gout, a disease commonly referred to as “The Disease of Kings or as “Rich Man’s Disease is considered a chronic and progressive disease. Chronic gout can also lead to crystal deposits of uric acid in the tissues, particularly in and around the joints. Gout can cause sudden severe arthritis and may cause joint destruction, decreased kidney function, and kidney .Gout has the unique distinction of being one of the most frequently recorded medical illnesses throughout history. When our body has too much of uric acid ,commonly known as “hyperuricema”, some of the needle-shaped crystals tend to deposit outside the bloodstream, most commonly around the joints. The condition, when such deposits develop and cause severe pain, is commonly referred to as “gout”. Now the question that arises is ,why would our body have an excess of uric acid? You yourself have the answer to this question,as it would not be completely wrong in generalizing, that gout is a man-made disease, and a result of the unhealthy lifestyle Hyperuricemia  may be caused by your body producing too much uric acid , or by your body's inability to get rid of the uric acid it has (10% of cases). .though anyone can get hyperuricemia, but it's most frequent in overweight men over 40 and post-menopausal women. The few specific causes of gout are ,Poor diet, being overweight, certain medications, Surgery. Environmental exposure. alcohol use (especially beer and red wine), certain type of anemia, high blood pressure , the use...

Words: 282 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Gout Research Paper

...Gout Gout is painful swelling that can occur in some of your joints. Gout is a type of arthritis. This condition is caused by having too much uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a chemical that forms when your body breaks down substances called purines. Purines are important for building body proteins. When your body has too much uric acid, it can form sharp crystals that build up inside your joints. This causes pain and swelling. Gout attacks can happen quickly and be very painful (acute gout). Over time, the attacks can affect more joints and become more frequent (chronic gout). Gout can also cause uric acid to build up under your skin and inside your kidneys. CAUSES Gout is caused by too much uric acid in your blood. This can occur...

Words: 967 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Gout Research Paper

...Gout is a potentially debilitating and painful type of arthritis which has been acquainted with ancient and prehistoric times. Initial manifestations commonly compose of severe attacks of painful, inflamed single joints, most frequently in the big toe. Managements are readily available to treat most gout cases, but establishing a diagnosis of this disease may be tricky, and treatment regimen frequently has to be custom-made for every patient with gout. The patient must avoid the intake of alcohol and particular meats and fish which can aid to avert further attacks of gout. Gouty arthritis takes place when there is an excessive accumulation of uric acid in the body, and crystals akin to needle-form structures may deposit inside the joints. This can happen either because the kidneys are not able to adequately eliminate uric acid or, less frequently, there is an increase in the production of uric acid inside the body. Particular foods, such as beans and alcohol, can augment the levels of uric acid and result into gout attacks....

Words: 428 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Joints

...inflammation occur is arthritis. Inflammation of one or more joints is called Arthritis. There are several different forms of arthritis. This paper will discuss Gouty arthritis. The word Gout comes from Latin gutta and old French gote meaning “a drop”(Pillinger, Rosenthal & Abeles,2007). Several hundred years ago gout was thought to be carried by drops of viscous liquid that seeped from blood into the joints. Gout was once described as the disease of kings, because it was the wealthy who could afford the rich food, which seem to precipitate gouty attacks. Gout has developed a much greater incidence and prevalence. The incidents of gout are on the rise predominantly in the elderly. In those older than sixty-five years, the prevalence has just been increased by sixty percent between nineteen ninety and nineteen ninety-nine. In those seventy-four years and older, the prevalence doubled due to the comorbid conditions, obesity, hypertension, alcohol use, and metabolic syndrome (Doheny, 2009; So, 2008). Men are a higher risk in developing gout than women. Estrogen seems to have a uricosuric effect in women, which helps reduce their premenopausal risk. After menopause women risk increase for gout due to a decrease in estrogen and the loss of protective effect (Weaver, 2008). Most cases of gout are inherited. Gout by definition is a decrease of purine metabolism, a sudden rush of increased uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is the end product of purines catabolism. Purines are the building...

Words: 1208 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

What Is Instructors Leadership Style

...* Allergy Friendly Recipes * Cakes * Muffins * Breads * Pancakes * Cookies & Bars * Meals * Contact Us | Home > Health > Chronic Conditions > Arthritis Arthritis What is ARTHRITIS? Arthritis is a general term for more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect the joints of the bones. It is a degenerative bone disease. Many people with arthritis do not have any symptoms in the early stages. Later, as it progresses, arthritis symptoms may include joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. Swelling may cause the skin to look tight, smooth or shiny. The muscles surrounding the joint may be sore, too. Some common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, gouty arthritis (a.k.a. gout), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and fibromyalgia. While not all of the causes of arthritis are known, several factors that may contribute to a person’s risk of developing the condition have been identified, including… Heredity: A person’s family history may determine the shape of the bones or whether there...

Words: 3285 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Deer

...Gout- a disorder characterized by high levels of uric acid- end product of purine catabolism- in blood (hyperuricemia), as a result of either the overproduction or underexcretion of uric acid. The hyperuricemia can lead to deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the joints causing an inflammatory response. Underexcretion of uric acid: Underexcretion can be primary, due to as-yet unidentified inherent excretory defects, or secondary to known disease processes that affect how the kidney handles urate, for example lactic acidosis (lactate and urate compete for same renal transporter) and to environmental factors such as the use of drugs, thiazide diuretics or exposure to lead. b. Overproduction of Uric acid: Primary hyperuricemia- idiopathic (having no known cause) However, increased PRPP availability increases purine production, resulting in elevated levels of plasma uric acid. Secondary hyperuricemia is typically the consequence of increased availability of purines, for example, in patients with myeloproliferative disorders who are undergoing therapy and so have a high rate of cell turn over. Major Functions of Nucleotides 1. Components of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) 2. Carriers of chemical energy in the cell (eg., ATP, GTP) 3. Components of cofactors which are necessary to produce the ion gradient which will eventually produce ATP by oxidative phosphorylation (eg., NAD, FAD) FAD and NAD are electron carriers that donate electrons to the electron transport chain to produce...

Words: 389 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Gout Pathophysiology

...Pathophysiology of Gout Gout is an inflammatory disease that effects millions of people each year, due to an over production of Uric Acid in the body and is known to be one of the oldest pathologies to date (Milina, Sishila, & Neeraj, 2013). An overproduction of uric acid in the body can cause many complications, due to monosodium urate crystals developing in the synovial joints of the body (Olin, 2013). Metatarsal I is the most common joint affected by gout because it is so distal to the rest of the body, but it can also effect other joints of the body such as the ankles and knees (Dufton, 2011). Gout can be categorized in many different ways; a patient could be experiencing, gouty arthritis, acute gout, and chronic gout (Milina, Sishila,...

Words: 1427 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Gout

...Determine the topic. If this is not a direct assignment (for class, publication, etc.) find a topic that interests you. Also, try and offer a fresh perspective on a topic. Decide if the essay needs to be a general overview of a particular subject or a very detailed and specific account. 2 Determine if you want to persuade people about a certain argument or want to write an informational, non-biased essay. Sponsored Links Free Check For Plagiarism Check Your Papers For Plagiarism And Correct Grammar Errors Now! www.Grammarly.com/Plagiarism_Check 3 Write a thesis statement. This will help determine the overall theme for the essay. 4 Outline. This includes both a structural and thematic outline. What are the major themes you want to cover? Once this is determined, create a structural outline--how each paragraph builds on information in the previous paragraph. An outline is useful for a page-long essay or an entire thesis. Outlining means writing the main topic header for a paragraph, and a number of sub-headings, using Roman numerals for main topics, and a,b,c for sub-headings. 5 Research. If you're just starting as an essayist, choose a topic you know something about--or, at the very least, something you want to learn about. If you're a practiced essayist choose a topic that can be easily researched. The Internet has made essay research a lot easier because you have virtual library's worth of information on your desktop. Take notes on research materials...

Words: 374 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Unit 21 - Nutrition

...P3 : Explain possible influences on dietary intake M2 : Assess how influences on dietary intake may affect the nutritional health of individuals D1 : Make realistic recommendations for minimising negative on the individuals in specific health and social setting. There are many influences that may affect an individual and their diet; in this essay I will take you through the various amounts of factors that may affect an individual. Factors such as medical disorders, personal preference, lifestyle and cultural factors. MEDICAL DISORDERS There are many underlying health conditions that result in an individual having to alternate their dietary intake. It’s always important that an individual eats healthy, but because of not being able to eat certain foods because of medical disorders eating balanced and even healthy becomes more complicated. An individual can be having a medical disorder that can determine their diet; this could be anything from allergies and intolerance. For example, person that is lactose intolerant will not be able to eat dairy products as this can flair up reactions in which they can prevented. You will sometimes find that a person that is lactose intolerant will be deficient in calcium. They are not receiving enough calcium in order for their bones to keep strong. Diabetes Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by elevated blood sugars. One of the primary treatments for diabetes is diet. MayoClinic.com says people with diabetes...

Words: 1111 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Traditional Chinese Method vs Modern Medicine

...Traditional Chinese Medicine Vs Modern Medicine Name Department Module Date History of medicine Medicine is a field of great scientific importance and interest; it has been practiced by experts and professionals throughout different eras of time. Over different time eras and periods, many societies and civilization made discoveries adding to the achievements. Ancient Egyptians and the ancient Indians are known for their advances in medicine. They together gave the concept of diagnosis and examination in medicine. The Hippocratic Oath has been taken by physicians to follow an ethical code while practicing medicine since the 5th century BC; this oath was written by the Greeks (Zhang 2009). The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) made some great discoveries and led the medicine forward with their newly found discoveries and understanding of the human body. Furthermore, methods of trauma treatment were further created and public health services were provided. Medicine has seen a systematic growth over the years, and even now, discoveries are made and new insights are revealed. This has been due to various machines and equipment’s that the doctors have designed making diagnosis and treatment much easier. Discovery of new drugs and Nano-particles has brought health care come a long way. (Zheng, Chang and Chen 2014) The Chinese Myths of Medicine The traditional Chinese medicine revolves around a number of different practices which share similar grounds. These medicinal practices...

Words: 1744 - Pages: 7