A condition that first appeared in the Victorian era is resurfacing. People are being encouraged to watch out for two warning symptoms of gout, a kind of arthritis brought on by the formation of tiny crystals called tophi, or uric acid, in and around the joints.
If these tophi enter a joint, they could start an inflammatory reaction that results in swelling, excruciating pain, and soreness. Although the sickness is sometimes linked to Victorian Britain, it saw a comeback during the epidemic.
Over the span of 2021–2022, the NHS predicts that over 250,000 patients with gout were hospitalized. According to more recent data, between 1 and 2 percent of Britons today have gout, according to the Liverpool Echo.
There are two primary signs:
The big toe is often the location of this sudden, intense pain, although other joints in the foot, ankles, hands, wrists, elbows, or knees may also experience it.
Redness around the damaged joint may be more difficult to discern on those with dark or brown skin. Although tophi can appear anywhere on the body, they typically appear on the elbows, forearms, heels, fingers, ears, toes, knees, or heels.
Successful therapy will stop the tophi from growing, and prolonged treatment frequently causes them to progressively contract. Tophi that are really big or uncomfortable can need to be surgically removed. Gout episodes might grow more frequent and protracted without treatment, increasing the risk of chronic joint damage. To replace or repair a broken joint, surgery may be necessary in the most severe situations.
Although gout is not lethal in and of itself, if left untreated, it can cause life-altering consequences. According to a research that was published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, people with gout may also be more likely to pass away before their time.
risk elements
If your body has excessive quantities of uric acid, you are more prone to develop gout. According to reports, the following things might raise your body’s uric acid levels:
Diet
Consuming foods and beverages sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose) and eating a lot of red meat and shellfish raise uric acid levels, which raise your chance of developing gout. Additionally, drinking alcohol—especially beer—raises your chances of developing gout.
Weight
Being overweight causes your body to manufacture more uric acid and makes it harder for your kidneys to get rid of it.
Ailment conditions
Your chance of getting gout is increased by a few illnesses and conditions. Untreated high blood pressure and chronic illnesses including diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart and renal disease are some examples of these.
Certain medicines
Low-dose aspirin and several drugs used to treat hypertension, such as thiazide diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and beta blockers, can also raise blood uric acid levels.
Gout in the family history
You are more prone to have gout if other family members have the condition.
Sex and age
Men have gout more frequently than women, largely because women typically have lower uric acid levels. However, after menopause, women’s uric acid levels begin to resemble those of males. Men are also more likely to experience the signs and symptoms of gout earlier than women do, often between the ages of 30 and 50.
Recent trauma or surgery
Sometimes a gout episode is brought on by recent surgery or trauma. Receiving a vaccine may cause a gout flare in some people.