Gout is one of a number of diseases that affect the joints. In gout, there is too much uric acid in the body. The excess uric acid accumulates in certain joints. This happens when your body makes too much uric acid, or not enough leaves the body through the urine. People on certain high blood pressure medicines can develop gout. In these people, the medication prevents enough uric acid from leaving the body in the urine.

Gout usually begins with acute pain, inflammation, extreme tenderness, and redness in the affected joint. There may also be swelling and pain in other joints, warmth in the involved joint and occasionally fever and myalgias, or flu-like muscle aches.

More men than women get this disease. Usually men are between the ages of 40 and 60 when they get their first symptoms, called "gout attacks". Gout can become a chronic, debilitating condition.

Healthcare providers may suspect this disease if you have these symptoms and are in the right age group. Your provider may do the following tests to see if you have this disease:
* careful history and physical,
* complete blood count,
* ESR, a blood test that looks for inflammation,
* chemistry profile on your blood,
* uric acid level on your blood, and
* a 24 hour urine collection to check for how well your kidneys are working and how much uric acid you have in your urine.

If you are diagnosed with this disease, there are certain treatments that are available. These include:
* increasing fluids to help flush the uric acid from the body,
* anti-inflammatory medications, such as aspirin or indomethacin,
* colchicine, a medication that can help treat an acute attack,
* allopurinol, a drug that can prevent attacks. This is usually used in people who have had more than one gout attack.

Most people do very well with gout. Occasionally, the first episode may be frightening, due to the pain that develops with the swollen joint. Once diagnosed, people tend to respond well to treatment, and their symptoms go away within a few days. Early diagnosis and treatment help to make people comfortable quickly. Your healthcare provider will teach you how to recognize the signs of gout, and when to seek medical help.

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