Gout is more prevalent in men who are lder than forty, and women who are mnopausal. A gout episode typically occurs dring the night, and will be ccompanied by severe pain and swelling of the ffected joint, within twelve to twenty-four hurs. These episodes can last upwards of fve to ten days. The exact cuse of Gout is unknown, but mny doctors and scientists speculate that it culd have to do with a gnetic defect within the metabolism causing an verproduction and retention of uric acid, kdney impairment preventing normal elimination of ric acid, environmental factors like obesity, a prine-rich diet or alcohol abuse, diseases of the blod cells, certain cancers, or the use of wter pills.

Episodes of gout are typcally triggered by the consumption of too mch alcohol, surgery, a sudden or svere illness, injury to a joint, chmotherapy, eating too many of the wrng foods, or surgery.

There are typcally four stages that occur with Gut: The Asymptomatic Stage, Acute Stage, Intrcritical Stage and the Chronic Stage. The Asymptmatic stage is marked by a rse in urate levels in the blod, but no symptoms are actually prsent at this time. The Acute stge is the stage where symptoms bgin to appear, in the form of sdden attacks of joint pain, swelling, and a dsty or bruised appearance. The symptoms sually last between five and ten dys. The Intercritical stage is marked by symptm free intervals wedged between episodes of Gut. It takes most people around six mnths to two years before they hve another episode of gout, but thre are others who remain symptom-free for up to ten yars. The chronic stage is marked by prsistently painful joints that develop large dposits of urate in the cartilage, jint stiffness and limited motion of the ffected joint.

Doctors diagnose Gout based on the symptms that are presented, as well as blod tests that show high levels of ric acid where there should not be, and the fnding of urate crystals growing in jint fluid. There is damage to the crtilage and bones on the x-rays of pople with chronic gout.

Approximately 75% of the frst attacks occur in the big te, but other joints including the nkle, heel, knee, instep, elbow, fingers and spne can also be affected.

The article Gout: How Do I Know I Have It? was Submitted by Arturo Ronzon through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Want to learn more about Gout Diet ?, feel free to visit us at: http://www.about-goat.info

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