Gout: Risk Factors And Complications

Gout Attacks
Gout Attacks
Gout Symptoms
Gout Symptoms

Gout is a painful condition that occurs due to an increase in uric acid levels in your blood. The flare-ups of this condition can be sudden and excruciatingly painful. When there are high levels of uric acid circulating through your body, it can lead to the accumulation of urate crystals in your joints. This can result in a lot of gout symptoms like swelling, pain, etc. If you have gout, it is important to seek medical help as soon as possible.

Gout Risk Factors

Eating purine-rich foods can be a major reason for the increase in the levels of uric acid in the body. Hence, people suffering from this condition should take great care to avoid the consumption of foods that are high in these compounds to manage their gout symptoms.

Some of the common foods that have high purine content are alcoholic beverages, turkey, bacon, peas, liver, dried beans, and fish. So avoiding these foods can help to reduce the risk of developing various signs of gout.

Additionally, there are some other risk factors that can increase the chance of getting gout. The following are some of the important risk factors associated with this condition that you need to know:

  • A family history of gout
  • Untreated hypertension
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Coronary artery diseases
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • High alcohol consumption
  • Chronic renal disease
  • A high-purine diet
  • Recent surgery or trauma
  • Use of some medications like aspirin and diuretics.

These factors can greatly increase your possibility of developing gout. So if you are prone to various risk factors associated with this condition, then make sure to take preventing measures against gout. 

Complications Of Gout

Gout should be treated properly for controlling its development. Otherwise, it can lead to a lot of complications that can impact your normal life. The following are some of the complications of gout you need to know:

Formation Of Tophi

They are the clumps of urate crystals that can develop under your skin. These nodules can be present in any joints including hands, fingers, ankles, and/or feet. Even though tophi does not generally cause pain, it can damage your joints, cartilage, and bones.

Joint Damage

This is another complication of gout you need to know. The chronic inflammation and tophi resulting from gout can damage your joints and even lead to permanent deformity.

Kidney Stones And Other Problems

If the urate crystals get accumulated in the kidneys, it can lead to the formation of kidney stones and might damage this organ.

You should be aware of the risk factors and complications associated with gout to prevent and treat this condition properly.