The Four Stages of Gout and How it Effects You

There are four stages of gout, and each stage is a little different from the previous. Gout occurs over the course of years as uric acid builds up in the joints. Men are at the greatest risk for getting gout, but women can also have it.

Stage One of Gout

This is often thought of as the pre-gout stage. There are high levels of uric acid in the blood stream and body, but you may not feel any pain or symptoms. This is likely because the gout has not become full force, therefore you don’t technically have gout yet. However, if untreated or unnoticed a patient can develop a full blown gout disease in a short amount of time.

Stage Two of Gout

At first stage two might seem like a strange and sharp pain. It occurs in the big toe more often than not, but can be concentrated in the knee or ankle or other parts of the foot. Stage two is called Acute Gout Arthritis and only lasts a few days. Another gout attack can occur at any time, but most people report their second attack within 2 years. Some individuals never experience a gout attack again.

Stage Three of Gout

This stage is called interval gout. You will feel acute attacks more often and usually in intervals. Sometimes these can be managed by changing your diet or by not consuming meat at all. This stage is exceptionally painful for patients, and doctors have to take serious measures in some cases. This stage can be felt in other joints.

Stage Four of Gout

This is the most chronic and severe stage of gout and it can cause severe pain to those who have it. It is often mistaken for another disease, such as osteoarthritis and may go untreated. Most individuals with Stage 4 gout, also known as Chronic Tophaceous Gout, go years without being treated for it.

They assume that it is just a sharp pain and it will go away. Bumps or nodules may appear on the surface of the skin, and look swollen and feel painful. Progressive tophaceous gout can cause severe pain and also lead to crippling or a disability in the future. If it is not treated in a timely manner stage four gout can even appear in the cartilage and bone.