Name: Gout Treatment
Brand: Gotham Footcare
Rating: 5.0 (292 reviews)

What is Gout?

Gout is a common and complex form of arthritis that is caused by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in a joint, typically the great toe joint.

Uric acid is formed from the breakdown of purines, substances that are naturally found in the body. Purines are also found in certain foods that are high in protein such as meat and seafood, as well as sweetened drinks, and alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and gets filtered by your kidneys into your urine. Sometimes, uric acid is either overproduced by the body or under-excreted by your kidneys.

When this happens, uric acid can accumulate in your blood and crystallize in your joint, causing a sudden gout attack which causes your joint to become severely painful, red, hot, and swollen. This attack often occurs in the middle of the night giving you the burning sensation on the affected joint and can be so severe that even the weight of your bed sheet on it may seem intolerable.

What are the risk factors of Gout?

Family history of Gout.
Diet. Foods that are rich in protein such as meat and seafood, sweetened drinks, and alcoholic beverages, especially beer.
Obesity.
Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart, and kidney diseases.
Medications: Certain medications such as Thiazide diuretics for hypertension, low-dose aspirin, and organ transplant anti-rejection drugs.

Age and sex. Gout occurs more commonly in men usually between the ages of 30 and 50, because men are more likely to consume a diet that produces elevated levels of uric acid. Women typically develop gout signs and symptoms after menopause, when their uric acid levels approach those of men.
Recent surgery or trauma. Surgery or damage to a joint increases the likelihood that uric acid will accumulate in that joint, which increases the risk of developing a gout attack.

How is Gout diagnosed?

At Gotham Footcare in New York gout is diagnosed by your doctor who may perform the following tests:

Joint Aspiration. Your doctor may use a needle to withdraw fluid from your affected joint that will be examined under a microscope for the presence of urate crystals.
Blood test. Your doctor may perform a blood test to measure the levels of uric acid in your blood.
X-ray imaging. X-rays of the joint may show the deposition of uric acid crystals.
Ultrasound. Musculoskeletal ultrasound can also be used to visualize urate crystals in a joint.

Consultation

How is Gout Treated?

At Gotham Footcare, the first step in the treatment of acute gout is to eliminate or reduce the pain by decreasing inflammation of the joint. Your doctor will prescribe pain-relieving medications, which may include:

Colchicine

Your doctor may prescribe Colchicine (Colcrys, Mitigare), a type of pain reliever that effectively reduces gout pain by inhibiting the immunological response of white blood cells that cause the symptoms of Gout.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroid medications, such as the drug prednisone, are generally used in patients with gout who cannot take either NSAIDs or colchicine. Corticosteroids may be in pill form, or they can be injected into your joint.

(NSAID’s) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

NSAIDs such as over-the-counter ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) can be taken or your doctor will prescribe a more-powerful NSAID such as celecoxib (Celebrex) or indomethacin (Indocin), which is the traditional drug of choice for Gout.

The second part of acute gout treatment consists of taking prescription medication to lower the levels of uric acid in your body. At Gotham Footcare, your doctor will explain the various medications available, how they differ, and their potential side effects. The medication provided by your New York gout treatment provider will be based on what is the most appropriate in consideration of your lifestyle and current health status. Some medications may be used to treat acute Gout and others will be used to prevent chronic Gout.

Last but not least, at Gotham Footcare, your doctor will have a thorough discussion with you on the necessary lifestyle changes that you will need to make including increased exercise, weight loss, and modifications in your diet to help prevent future gout attacks.

Your First Step to Getting Better

At Gotham Footcare in NYC, we strive at recognizing your individual needs and desired outcomes while formulating an effective and personalized treatment plan with the highest quality care available.

What sets Gotham Footcare apart from other podiatry offices is our dedication to providing you with the education you need to make well-informed decisions regarding your care. Regardless of what your foot and ankle trouble may be, at Gotham Footcare our team will work tirelessly to help you feel better. At Gotham Footcare, we help you put your best foot forward.

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Gout Specialists In New York City

Foot care is important.

What is Gout?

What are the risk factors of Gout?

How is Gout diagnosed?

How is Gout Treated?

Your First Step to Getting Better