Gout Symptoms To Watch For

Gout develops over the course of time, usually years, before it becomes a serious problem. There are some symptoms that you can look out for before determining if you have gout and if you need to see a doctor. These symptoms can be severe, and if you do experience them then you should get treatment right away.

• Pain, usually sudden in the big toe is a major sign of gout. Swelling, warmth and tenderness are also symptoms. Sometimes this pain isn’t too severe and it can be withstand able, but for others it isn’t.

• Sometimes gout pain will begin while you are asleep, and it will awaken you in the middle of the night. For some reason gout attacks seem to occur while the individual is resting. You know it is serious when even something light and soft causes extreme pain in the toe or joint.

• Gout pain is usually sudden and quick to occur at first, but then subsides throughout the next day. Sometimes a gout attack can last several days.

• After a major gout attack the skin near the joint may peel and flake off.

• Red skin or skin that seems infected is likely due to a gout attack.

• Fever that occurs during an attack is probably due to gout.

• Inability to move a joint can be caused by gout.

• There may be no symptoms at all, especially if “tophi” appears before other symptoms. Tophi is comparable to an infection that produces a peculiar lump near the gout infected joint.

Please be aware that there are other conditions out there that have symptoms that are similar to gout symptoms.

This is what makes it tricky for doctors to diagnose, because so many symptoms are similar to each other. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are two conditions that have similar symptoms. This is because all three conditions are part of the arthritis “family” of autoimmune inflammatory joint conditions.

Infected joints, and even HIV can cause gout like symptoms. There are many serious conditions that resemble gout, and all should be treated immediately to prevent worsening of the condition. Diabetes and kidney infection can also cause gout like symptoms, so be sure to ask your doctor about any concerns you may have regarding gout or other medical problems.