What is gout? Its symptoms and details..
Marked by swelling, inflammation, and excruciating tenderness in the joints, gout most commonly affects the joints at the base of the big toe, other foot joints, knees, ankles, wrists, and fingers. The slightest touch—even that of a bedsheet—may prove to be unbearably painful during an attack of gout. In North America, gout afflicts about 21 out of every 1,000 people, about half of whom are overweight. It is uncommon in women, especially before menopause. Mistakenly, gout has had a persistent reputation for being the penalty to be paid for high living and overindulgence. In fact, gout is actually a type of arthritis that is caused by an inherited defect in the kidney’s ability to excrete uric acid. This waste product of protein metabolism comes both from the digestive process and from the normal turnover of cells.
