Gout is a disease that causes the sudden onset of intense pain and swelling in the joints, which also may be warm and red. Attacks frequently occur at night and can be triggered by stressful events, alcohol or drugs, or the presence of another illness.
Before an attack, needle-like crystals of uric acid build up in connective tissue, in the joint space between two bones, or in both.
Uric acid is a substance that results from the breakdown of purines, which are part of all human tissue and are found in many foods. Early attacks usually subside within 3 to 10 days, even without treatment, and the next attack may not occur for months or even years.
Adult men, particularly those between the ages of 40 and 50, are more likely to develop gout than women, who rarely develop the disease before menstruation ends.
Sometime during the course of the disease, gout will affect the big toe in about 75 percent of patients. Gout frequently affects joints in the lower part of the body such as the ankles, heels, knees, or toes.
