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Gout is a form of joint inflammation that occurs in people with high levels of uric acid in the blood. The body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines, which are naturally found in the body and certain foods. Normally, uric acid is removed through the kidneys into urine. When too much uric acid is produced in or too little is removed from the body, it may deposit in and around the joints as crystals. This results in gout pain and inflammation. Men are more likely to develop gout, especially between the ages of 30 and 60.
Quick fact: Gout is rare in women before menopause. This is because the female hormone, oestrogen, acts as a natural gout protector by increasing uric acid excretion through urine.
Photo adopted from: https://manadr.com/article/gout-everything-you-need-to-know
Photo adopted from: https://blog.teleme.co/2020/03/20/gout/
A gout attack usually occurs suddenly, often at night. It commonly begins in one joint, most often the big toe joint, but it may spread to more joints such as foot, knee, ankle, hand, wrist or elbow. If left untreated, symptoms may linger on for days to weeks. Subsequent attacks may recur at intervals of weeks, months or years. These are likely to last longer and affect more joints. Repeated gout attacks can permanently damage joints and also lead to kidney problems. Common signs and symptoms in the affected joint(s) may include:
You are more likely to develop gout if you have high levels of uric acid in your body. Factors that contribute to high uric acid level include:
Photo adopted from: https://manadr.com/article/gout-everything-you-need-to-know
Diagnosis is done based on symptoms, physical examination, medical history, lifestyle and laboratory tests which include:
Finger prick uric acid test is also available from pharmacies and results can be obtained in a few seconds.
Photo adopted from: Alpro Pharmacy Test Reference Table Sticker
Gout can be effectively managed with medical treatment and self-management strategies to manage the pain and inflammation as well as prevent further gout attacks.
High purine (Avoid) | Moderate purine (Limit) | Low purine (Encourage) |
· Offal – liver and kidneys, heart and sweetbreads
· Oily fish – anchovies, herring, mackerel, sardines, sprats, whitebait, trout
· Seafood – mussels, crab, shrimps and other shellfish, fishroe, caviar
· Meat and Yeast Extracts – Marmite, Bovril, commercial gravy, beer | · Meat – beef, lamb, pork
· Poultry – chicken, duck
· Dried peas, beans and legumes – baked beans, kidney beans, soya beans, peas
· Some vegetables – asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, mushroom
· Wholegrains – bran, oatbran, wholemeal bread | · Low fat dairy products – milk, cheese, yoghurt
· Eggs
· Non-wholegrain bread and cereals
· Pasta and noodles
· Fruit
· Most vegetables (except those noted in moderate purine list) |
We have PainWISE Accreditated Pharmacists who can help you to understand your pain, empower YOU in managing pain and achieve a Pain-FREE life!
Managing pain well involves multidisciplinary care, it is not only about medication.
1) Rigby, D. (2020). Gout management: treat to target. Australian Pharmacist. https://www.psa.org.au/
2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Gout. https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/gout.html
3) UK Gout Society. All about gout and diet. http://www.ukgoutsociety.org/PDFs/goutsociety-allaboutgoutanddiet-0917.pdf
4) Versus Arthritis. What is gout? https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/gout/
5) Choi, H. K., Gao, X., & Curhan, G. (2009). Vitamin C Intake and the Risk of Gout in Men. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(5), 502. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2008.606
6) Zhang, Y., Neogi, T., Chen, C., Chaisson, C., Hunter, D. J., & Choi, H. K. (2012). Cherry consumption and decreased risk of recurrent gout attacks. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 64(12), 4004–4011. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.34677
7) Hussein, H. (2012, May 1). Gout. PORTAL MyHEALTH. http://www.myhealth.gov.my/en/gout-2/
8) Villines, Z. (2019, October 17). What are the benefits of wheatgrass? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320210#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
9) MaNaDr. (2022). Gout: Everything You Need to Know. [Photograph]. https://manadr.com/article/gout-everything-you-need-to-know
10) Healthtips. (2022). Gout. [Photograph]. https://blog.teleme.co/2020/03/20/gout/
11) CreakyJoints. (2019). High-Purine Foods: 4 Foods to Avoid Eating with Gout. [Photograph]. https://creakyjoints.org/about-arthritis/gout/gout-diet/high-purine-foods-avoid-with-gout/
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Alpro Group Head Office & Distribution Centre
Unit V1-A, Lot 45880, Jalan Techvalley 3/2, Sendayan Techvalley, 71950 Bandar Sri Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan.