Paying attention to the causes and symptoms of gout is very important to improve quality of life. Moreover, this disease generally appears in older people and makes it difficult for them to walk and not sleep well.
Uric acid appears in the form of pain in the joints and sometimes feels hot. This sensation often appears at night to trigger the sufferer to wake up. After that, they also find it difficult to go back to sleep.
So far, gout is often neglected by many sufferers. If you feel pain, most sufferers will only take medicine. The rest, lifestyle also did not change at all.
To find out what gout looks like and what bad effects you will experience if you ignore it, GGL has prepared the following article.
Causes of Gout and Risk Factors
The main cause of uric acid or gout on the body are crystals urate that appears on joints. This can appear because uric acid levels in the blood are high and trigger crystallization. This can cause pain or a pricking sensation in the joints.
Here are some factors that cause uric acid levels to increase and crystallization to occur.
- Unbalanced diet. For example, by frequently consuming red meat, organ meats, shellfish, and alcoholic beverages or those containing high added sugar can increase uric acid.
- Experiencing obesity. The condition of being overweight or obese causes the body to produce more uric acid and it is difficult for the kidneys to get rid of it.
- Certain health conditions. Someone who has diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease is prone to gout.
- Family history. If there are family members or parents exposed to gout, we tend to be at risk of experiencing it too.
- Gender. Men are more susceptible to this condition because their bodies produce more uric acid than women.
The presence of crystals in the joints also triggers inflammation and swelling in several parts of the body, such as near the big toe for example. This condition can make it difficult to move the legs.
Symptoms of Gout
Uric acid conditions or gout mild ones are often not felt and ignored by sufferers. As a result, its levels in the body increase and finally crystallization in the joints cannot be prevented.
If this condition gets worse, some of the symptoms of gout below will appear. These symptoms can greatly interfere with daily activities carried out.
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Intense pain in the joints
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Swelling and redness
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Stiff and difficult to move
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Feels hot
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The joint area becomes more tender and hurts when touched by anything
The symptoms above can appear all or just a few. However, one of the symptoms that is sure to appear is pain and swelling. This causes us to be uncomfortable when moving let alone doing activities.
In fact, even if it’s just hit by a soft pillow, it already feels very painful. This is what triggers sleep disturbances and difficulty doing strenuous activities.
Uric Acid Complications
Symptoms of gout must be treated immediately and should not be ignored. Drug use needs to be done together with lifestyle changes. If left untreated, the following complications can occur.
1. Joint Damage
Chronic gout can cause swelling and inflammation. If this condition occurs frequently, the joints can be damaged, stiff, and sore deformity (abnormalities).
Generally, this condition can be treated with medication. However, if it is severe, surgery is required to repair or replace the joint.
2. Broken Bones
Research related to uric acid triggering fractures is still controversial. However, a study shows a relationship between bone fractures in people who have had a history of gout.
3. Appearance of Kidney Stones
High levels of uric acid in the body don’t just collect in the joints. However, it also collects in the kidneys and eventually crystallizes. This can be one of the causes of kidney stones.
4. Eye disorders
Eye disorders due to gout may be a bit rare. However, it can trigger problems with the cornea and iris. Besides that, tophi or swelling can also occur in the eyelids.
Actually gout is not always synonymous with parents only. Sometimes young people can still experience it because they don’t have a good lifestyle. On the other hand, those who are old can avoid it as long as the lifestyle they have lived so far is healthy.
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