Gout: Rich Man's Disease

Gout is classified as the “buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints… [that occur as a result to] many [of the] foods we eat” (WebMD). These needle-like crystals are what contribute to the sudden pain and swelling of a gout attack. My father’s doctors reported that not only did he have gout, but that if he stayed

Rheumatoid arthritis and gout - These are inflammatory conditions. The same applies here as to

Drink plenty of fluids, (No alcohol or sweet sodas) , ice and elevate the joint , relax stress can aggravate gout call your doctor and make an appointment, and ask friends and family to help you with daily tasks. Gout may remit for long periods, followed by flares for days to weeks or can become chronic. The gold standard for diagnosing gout is aspiration and microscopic analysis for urate crystals in joint fluid or a tophus. Urate crystals are negatively birefringent under polarized light. Infection must be ruled out gouty patients are, generally either old men or men who have worn themselves out in youth as to have brought on a premature old age- of such dissolute habits. The victim goes to bed and sleeps in good health. About 2am in the morning he is awakening by a severe pain in his toe, heel, ankle or instep. The pain feels like a dislocation also parts feel as if cold water were poured over them. Then comes chills and shivers and a little fever. The night is passed in torture sleeplessness turning the part affected and perpetual change of posture the tossing body being as incessant as the pain of the tortured joint, and begins worse as the fit comes

Throughout history, many physicians tried to describe rheumatoid arthritis and gave it an accurate name. The first physician that noticed the disease was Landré Beauvais, who examined patients with severe joint pain and then hypothesized that these people had an uncharacterized condition, which Landré named “Primary Asthenic Gout.” [2] Although Landré's classification of this disease as a relative of gout was wrong, his study motivated other researchers study more about the disease. The next physician that researched about the disease was Alfred Garrod, who was able to differentiate gout from other arthritic diseases. [2] Moreover, Garrod wrote a book that showed how to differentiate between them and used “Rheumatic Gout” instead of “Primary

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. normally the body’s immune system attacks and protects the body against foreign substance, with RA the immune system accidently attacks the joints. When the joints are mistakenly attacked inflammation occurs which causes the tissues to thicken thus resulting in pain and swelling of the joints. When this inflammation is undetected damage to the cartilage can occur, when this happens the spacing between the bones become smaller, the joints may become loose, painful, unstable and may also lose their mobility and deformity of the joints can occur.

Gout is a complex metabolic disease that presents itself in a form of arthritis that causes unexpected, severe attacks of pain. In addition, men are more likely to get gout, but women become increasingly susceptible to gout after menopause (Mayo Clinic Staff, n.d.). Generally, gout affects one joint at a time and causes tenderness, redness, warmth, and swelling of the joint. However, it can be in several joints. The big toe is most often affected, but gout can also affect other joints in the leg – such as the knee, ankle and foot – and less often, the hand, wrist, fingers and elbow ("Arthritis and Gout," n.d.). An attack of gout can occur suddenly, often waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that the big toe is on fire. In fact, the joint is so tender that the mere weight of the sheet upon the affected joint may seem intolerable. The prevalence of gout appears to be increasing. It is currently estimated to affect over 6 million Americans (Shiel, Jr., M.D., FACP, FACR, 2015).

Joint pain often indicate the beginning of arthrosis, or wear of cartilage, and knees are particularly vulnerable. At every step of the knee depreciated approximately triple body weight.

This is a case study on a patient suffering from an inflammation of the big toe that has caused severe pain. According to the provisional test conducted, the patient is suffering from gout. The purpose of the study is to determine the additional procedures that will be conducted on her. The steps followed are informed by the personal details provided and the test that have already been conducted on the patient. This will be followed by the clarifying the all the symptoms; this will ensure that the rest of the procedures are in line with the previous tests conducted. Finally, an assessment of the problem will be conducted to give a confirmation on the illness. Domains of health such as physical, social and psychological will be analyzed for any probable cause of the problem.

Lifestyle changes can make it easier for you to manage gout. Uric acid is created when the body breaks down

According to Rosdahl (2010), "The body produces substances called purines during metabolism. If the body is unable to metabolize these substances, uric acid accumulates in the bloodstream and forms crystal deposits in the joints" (p.1236). This arthritic condition called gout is a condition of hyperuricemia wherein these uric acid accumulates and form hard crystals deposited in your joints. It can harm your joints, tendons, and other tissues. It can cause an attack of sudden blistering joint pain, stiffness, and joint swelling. It often affects the joints of the big toe, instep, ankle or knee but it may appear in any joint.

Early development of OA is believed to be due to having a high body weight. Trauma can either be a physical or emotional injury (although in this case it is physical). Repeated trauma to joint tissues (ligaments, bones, and cartilage) is believed to lead to early OA of the knees in soccer players and army military personnel. Gout (Gouty Arthritis) is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation is usually only one joint. A sign of gout is the presence of tophi (a hard module of uric acid that deposits under the skin). Tophi can be found in various locations in the bod such as the upper ear cartilage, elbows and on the surface of other joints. When a tophus is present is means that the body is overloaded with uric acid. It is usually caused by too much uric acid in the bloodstream and accumulation of uric acid crystals in body tissues. If it is left untreated than it can cause a worse form of arthritis such as osteoarthritis because the joint damage can begin to become worse and irreversible. Crystal deposits in the cartilage can cause cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis. Congenital abnormalities (birth defects, congenital disorders, or congenital malformations) are structural or functional anomalies that occur during birth.

Intense joint pain, lingering discomfort, inflammation and redness are all classic symptoms of gout (Mayo Clinic, 2011). The Mayo Clinic notes that, “Gout usually affects the large joint of your big toe, but it can occur in your feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists.” (p. 2). The pain is most intense within the first 12 to 24 hours after a gout attack begins (Center for Disease Control, 2011). To confirm the diagnosis of gout, the patient should have a Joint Fluid Test to determine the presence of urate crystals as well as a blood test to determine the amount of uric acid in the blood (Mayo Clinic,

6 Million Americans over the age of 20 have confided having a condition known as “The Disease of Kings.” Also known as gout or gouty arthritis and nicknamed for the relationship between the disease, rich foods & alcohol consumption, gout is one of the oldest known cases of arthritis. This form of arthritis commonly affects men over the age of 40; the attacks come on suddenly, and the discomfort is severe. Symptoms of inflammation, swelling and tenderness originating in the great toe and progressing joint by joint are classic signs of gouty arthritis. Thomas Sydenham (1989) describes an acute gout attack in excruciating detail; "The victim goes to bed and sleeps in good health. About two o'clock in the morning he is awakened by a severe pain in the

Osteoarthritis does not automatically occur over night. Loss of cartilage and pain escalate over a long period of time. When the patient feels pain, tenderness, stiffness, loss of flexibility, grating sensation and bone spurs, Osteoarthritis occurs.

Gout disease, also called gouty arthritis, is an inflammatory arthritis that is very painful. It occurs when there is an excess of uric acid in the bloodstream. The acid forms crystals in joints, causing sudden and severe pain, swelling, redness and tenderness. Most people at first experience gout at the base of the big toe. Gout can also affect others movable joints like your ankles, knees, wrists, fingers and elbows or others. According to the Arthritis National Research Foundation, gout affects in 8.3 million Americans. The same research institute states that it is rare in children or young people but men are