Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops as a result of high levels of uric acid. This chemical will be usually eliminated through the urine. But when its excretion is interrupted, the levels of uric acid in your blood increase thereby leading to a lot of severe health issues. The increased levels of uric acid cause this chemical to crystalize and accumulate in different body parts including your joints. This can result in the development of a condition called gout that can result in inflammation, pain, and a wide range of other uncomfortable symptoms.
Gout can progress through different stages thereby making your condition worse. Your gout symptoms can become chronic over time, therefore, it is important for you to get proper treatment as soon as you diagnose this condition.
The following are some of the important stages of gout progression that you have to know:
Increased Levels Of Uric Acid
Long before you start to experience gout symptoms, the build-up of uric acid might be happening in your body. When the levels of uric acid increase in the blood over normal ranges, it will start to crystalize. These crystals can travel through your blood to different body parts and might accumulate in your joints and internal organs.
The levels of uric acid increase in the blood because of the inability of your kidneys to get rid of this waste product. Different factors can reduce the ability of your kidneys to eliminate this chemical, some of them include:
- Overweight
- Diabetes
- Kidney diseases
- Family history
- Overconsumption of alcohol
- Taking diuretics
- Underactive thyroid
- Eating foods that are high in purines
Acute Gout
During this stage, you might experience unexpected gout attacks which cause severe pain and inflammation. The signs of gout will begin to appear in this stage. If you experience chronic pain, swelling, and inflammation in your joints without any warning, then it is better to see a rheumatologist to find out whether you are suffering from gout.
Intercritical Gout
After the first gout attack, the symptoms may go into remission for a certain period of time. In most cases, gout patients can experience a second gout attack within one year of the first attack, but some people might go for years without any symptoms.
Chronic Gout
By this stage, your gout will be very worse. You might experience permanent joint damage and the pain and inflammation can become very severe. If not treated, gout might affect your internal organs including your kidneys thereby resulting in their damage.
So if you experience the signs and symptoms of gout, visit your doctor immediately to get the right treatment and medications.
