Gout in a man's red tender swollen big toe on his foot
Gout is a medical condition that usually presents with recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis (red, tender, hot, swollen joint). It is caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood that crystallizes and deposits in joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues. Gout affects 1% of Western populations at some point in their lives. Treatment with NSAIDs, steroids, or colchicine improves symptoms. Once the acute attack has subsided, levels of uric acid are usually lowered via lifestyle changes and long term prevention with allopurinol. Historically, it was known as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease". Gout usually presents as recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis (a red, tender, hot, swollen joint). The joint that is most commonly affected is the first metatarsalphalangeal joint at the base of the big toe (approximately 75 percent of first attacks) and when this occurs it is known as podagra. The reason gout usually presents in the feet is in part due to the lower temperature. People with long-standing hyperuricemia can form tophi (uric acid crystal deposits) in tissues. These are usually hard, non-painful deposits. Extensive tophi that invade bone are associated with arthritis due to bone erosion. Elevated levels of urine uric acid can lead to uric-acid crystals precipitating in the kidneys which may form kidney stones and lead to urate nephropathy
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Keywords: acute, arthritic, arthritis, big, caucasian, disease, diseased, diseases, feet, foot, gout, human, inflammatory, injury, joint, joints, people, person, red, swelled, swelling, swollen, tender, toe, toes, white
