prevent further attacks – through a combination of lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or changing your diet, and taking medication that lowers uric acid levels, such as allopurinol.

relieve symptoms during an attack – this can be done using ice packs and by taking medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine or corticosteroids.

If you have gout, treatment is available from your GP to:

eating foods that cause a build-up of uric acid, such as red meat, offal and seafood.

obesity, high blood pressure and/or diabetes.

Things that may increase your chances of getting gout include: These crystals can cause the joint to become inflamed (red and swollen) and painful. If you produce too much uric acid or your kidneys don’t filter enough out, it can build up and cause tiny sharp crystals to form in and around joints. Gout is caused by a build-up of a substance called uric acid in the blood. If you’ve already been diagnosed with gout and you have an attack, see your GP if any medication you’ve been prescribed (see below) doesn’t start working within a couple of days. It’s important that a diagnosis is confirmed because other conditions that require urgent treatment, such as an infected joint, can sometimes cause similar symptoms. See your GP if you suspect you have gout and it hasn’t been previously diagnosed, particularly if the pain keeps getting worse and you also have a high temperature (fever). After this time the pain should pass and the joint should return to normal.Īlmost everyone with gout will experience further attacks at some point, usually within a year. Symptoms develop rapidly over a few hours and typically last three to 10 days.

red, shiny skin over the affected joint.

swelling in and around the affected joint.

Signs and symptoms of goutĪny joint can be affected by gout, but it usually affects joints towards the ends of the limbs, such as the toes, ankles, knees and fingers. Gout can be extremely painful and debilitating, but treatments are available to help relieve the symptoms and prevent further attacks. Overall, gout is more common in men than women.

The condition mainly affects men over 30 and women after the menopause. It’s estimated that between one and two in every 100 people in the UK are affected by gout. It causes sudden attacks of severe pain and swelling. Gout is a type of arthritis in which small crystals form inside and around the joints.

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