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Find out how flexible you areIt is often easy to recognise the symptoms of gout and to make a diagnosis. The symptoms are quite pronounced and usually affect the smaller joints of the body first, sometimes resulting in debilitating pain and inflammation. In this page, our muscle and joint advisor describes the pattern that gout symptoms can sometimes form, and complications that can sometimes arise due to the illness.
The symptoms of gout are often easy to identify. In the majority of cases, symptoms begin in one of the big toes, although they can occur in any joint. If the condition progresses, more than one joint can be affected, although the smaller joints of the body such as those in the hands and feet are more prone to the condition.
Symptoms of gout are caused by a build-up of uric acid in or around a joint which then crystallises, penetrating into the soft tissue surrounding the joint.
Gout attacks can be difficult to predict as often there is not a specific trigger. However, when they do occur symptoms develop rapidly, usually over a matter of hours.
Attacks of gout can last anything from about three to ten days. During the first few attacks, usually only one joint is affected. As you experience more and more attacks, it is likely that several joints will begin to be affected.
Although some people only experience one or two attacks of gout during their lifetime, most people with gout experience recurring attacks, often with increasing frequency and intensity. Over half of people who experience gout, have another attack within a year.
If uric acid levels in the bloodstream are continually high, more and more crystals will form, and other joints may suffer. Adhering to a gout diet can prevent this from happening, so that attacks of gout become less frequent and result in fewer complications.
Gout can be associated with a number of other conditions or complications:
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Find out how flexible you areAs the A. Vogel Muscles and Joints advisor, I recommend Atrogel® for the effective relief from aches and pains.
Learn moreWhile many foods can trigger gout, according to several studies foods rich in vitamin C (like oranges) could be the answer to reducing it. One such study found that the higher the intake of vitamin C, the more protection from gout.
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