Gout and its treatment

INTRODUCTION

Gout is very common and is a form of arthritis which causes pain, redness and weakening of joints. It is mainly caused due to deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints. It mostly occurs in first metatarsophalangeal joint. There are other sites as well like knee joint, ankle joint, wrist joint but are rare. It is a disorder of purine nucleotide metabolism.

CAUSES

There are primary and secondary causes of gout :

PRIMARY CAUSES-

• Increase in the activity of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate(PRPP) synthetase
• Increase in the activity of glutamyl amidotransferase
• HGPRTase deficiency
• Glucose-6-phosphate deficiency
• Increase in the activity of glutathione reductase

SECONDARY CAUSES-

• Leukemia
• Lymphoma
• Chemotherapy
• Psoriasis
• Renal failure

SYMPTOMS

There are no such hidden symptoms, it can be felt and can be seen. When the serum uric acid goes beyond 7mg/dl, uric acid starts to precipitate and deposits in joints and the following symptoms can be seen :

• Joints gets swollen and causes pain
• Redness and inflammation
• Restrict movement
• If the uric acid gets deposited in kidney it leads to renal stones.

DIAGNOSIS OF GOUT

Increase in serum uric acid level is an indication of gout. Normally the range is 3-7 mg/dl. It is also examined by joint fluid test in which the synovial fluid is taken and examined under the microscope.

TREATMENT OF GOUT

It is treatable. Allopurinol is one of the most common drug for gout. For pain relief non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen, Diclofenac is used. Patient is recommended to increase water intake. Should see a Doctor before taking any medicine.

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