What are the symptoms of gout and what kind of pain is it?

Recently, a 34-year-old young patient, Mr. Wang, came to the medical community. Mr. Wang came to the hospital for treatment due to "repeated joint pain, back pain, low fever, nausea and vomiting, and edema of both lower limbs for a week."

But Mr. Wang thought that he had no chance of suffering from gout. According to him, he usually pays attention to health preservation, rarely eats big fish and meat, and has regular eating habits. After Zhang Chunlong's patient communication, Mr. Wang underwent relevant examinations, and the results showed that his uric acid level was as high as 826μmol/L, and his renal function indicators were also abnormal. He had bilateral ureteral stones and hydronephrosis, and he had to be hospitalized immediately for treatment. Otherwise, if the disease was allowed to develop, it might lead to renal failure or even multiple organ damage.

What is gout?

In recent years, more and more patients like Mr. Wang have been suffering from gout. The incidence of gout has increased year by year, and the trend of younger patients is becoming more and more obvious. However, people have only a vague understanding of "what gout is". Today, let's talk about what kind of pain gout is.

When talking about gout, we must first understand a term: uric acid. Uric acid is the final product of purine metabolism in the human body. Under normal circumstances, the production and excretion of uric acid are in dynamic balance. However, if excessive high-purine foods are consumed for a long time, over time, excess uric acid that cannot be metabolized will remain in the human blood. When the uric acid in the blood is saturated, urate crystals will form and deposit in joints, kidneys and other organs, forming gout - producing tophi, damaging joints, joint deformities; causing complications such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes; leading to kidney stones, kidney disease, and renal insufficiency. In severe cases, azotemia and uremia may occur.

Gout, like the well-known "three highs", is also a chronic disease that cannot be cured. However, active treatment can keep the condition stable for a long time, reduce or avoid acute attacks, delay the occurrence of complications, improve the quality of life, and prolong life.

What should I do if I have gout?

The treatment of gout is comprehensive, including lifestyle changes, lifelong uric acid control, and regular monitoring of various vulnerable target organs. Gout patients are advised to do the following:

Control your diet: eat less seafood, animal offal, sweets, etc., do not drink thick broth, fish soup, seafood soup, do not drink sugary drinks, eat more vegetables, fruits, and milk, and quit smoking and drinking.

Step up: Gout patients should do some gentle aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, Tai Chi, swimming, cycling, and dancing, 4 to 6 times a week, 0.5 to 1 hour each time. Basketball, rope skipping, high jump, etc. are not recommended. Master the appropriate intensity of exercise. Exercise to reduce "acid" is a long-lasting tug-of-war. You must persevere, proceed step by step, and not rush. Because strenuous exercise not only produces a large amount of uric acid, but also produces lactic acid and uric acid competing for excretion, causing gout attacks. Secondly, patients with obvious injuries to their feet and knees are not recommended to run, otherwise it will cause repeated attacks of gout and even adverse consequences such as fractures. It is advisable to choose mild exercise with slight sweating and slight fatigue, and the maximum heart rate should be kept within the value of "220-age".

Drink more water: Drinking too little water is a risk factor for hyperuricemia and gout. Drinking more than 2000 ml of water every day can effectively relieve gout.

Rational use of medication: Continuous uric acid-lowering therapy is more effective in preventing gout attacks than intermittent medication. Therefore, it is recommended that gout patients follow the doctor's advice and take medication according to the course of treatment.