Gout is one of the centuries-old diseases known to man. This potentially debilitating disease typically affects men who are in their 30s, 40s or 50s...
Gout is one of the centuries-old diseases known to man. This potentially debilitating disease typically affects men who are in their 30s, 40s or 50s, but can also affect any male or female of any age. While several kinds of treatment are available, many people still as what causes gout so they can help keep themselves from developing this kind of dreadful disease. There are several gout causes, and they can vary from genetic traits to lifestyle problems.
One of the most common gout causes involves genetics. If your family has a history of gout, it is more likely for you to develop this dreadful disease. In fact, about’% of those who suffer from gout have a family history of this medical condition. This is usually due to an enzyme defect that can interfere with how your body breaks down purines. Another common cause of gout involves gender and age. As have been mentioned, gout is more commonly observed in men than in women. It also affects more adults than children, although it is possible for a 7-year old kid to suffer from this kind of disease.
Obesity is another common risk factor for gout. Being overweight can increase your chance of developing gout because you have more tissue to replace or breakdown. When this happens, you have more chances of producing excess uric acid.
The kind of lifestyle you lead is also one of the most common gout causes. Eating too much food that is rich in purines can increase your chances of being affected by this potentially debilitating disease. When you are already suffering from gout, it is best that you keep your diet free of purine rich foods. Drinking too much alcohol is also a primary cause of gout. Alcohol can greatly interfere with the proper elimination of uric acid from the body, so it is best that you try to drink moderately.
Other gout causes include exposure to lead in the environment, as well as the intake of certain medications. There are some cases wherein the use of medicines can lead to excess production of uric acid, which can result to having high levels of uric acid in our body fluids. These medications include diuretics or medicines taken to help eliminate excess fluids from our body. Other medications that are considered as risk factors for gout include salicylates like aspirn, niacin or nicotinic acid, cyclosporine (which is an immunosuppressant), and Levodopa (which is used in treating Parkinson’s disease).
Gout is a medical condition which is often the result of having high levels of uric acid in the blood. Gout attacks can recur over several days, weeks, months or even years. However, there are some cases when gout attacks do not recur. This painful and potentially debilitating disease is one of the most common forms of arthritis. There are lots of gout causes but it is oftentimes due to a malfunction of the kidneys. When your kidneys are unable to efficiently eliminate uric acid from your body, uric acid levels in your blood will increase and it is very likely that you will suffer from gout.
There are several gout causes but whatever might have caused a person to suffer from this painful disease, his or her kidneys can easily be damaged by having increased blood uric levels for too long. When our body is unable to efficiently eliminate uric acid, tophi or crystallized uric acid can easily form in and around the joints, and can even protrude the skin. The most common areas of deposit are in the ankles, big toe, and the feet.
The most common gout causes include genetics, high intake of foods that are rich in purine, high alcohol intake, high blood pressure, medications, and obesity. It has been observed that gout often runs in families and it can be passed down from generation to generation. Foods that are high in purine (like red meat and shellfish) can significantly increase uric acid levels in our body. Certain medications can also greatly increase our chances of having high uric acid levels in the blood. These medications include aspirin, chemotherapy treatment, and diuretics.
Aside from sustained high levels of uric acid in the blood, there are several other signs and symptoms of gout. These can include the presence of uric acid crystals in the joints, deposits of uric acid crystals around your joints and in other areas of your body like your ears, tenderness around an affected joint, red, shiny, and painful skin around the affected joint, decreased kidney function, and development of kidney stones.
Certain conditions can precede a gout attack and they are pretty much related to the different gout causes. Conditions that can precede a gout attack include dehydration, excessive eating of purine-rich foods, fever, heavy alcohol intake, injury to a joint, recent surgery, and stress. It is important to take note of these risk factors so we can keep ourselves from suffering from this painful and debilitating disease.