The causes of goutGout is a type of arthritis. Initially it’s an inflammation of the joints. The precise causes of gout in all cases are still not understood because it is a complicated disease that has defied humankind for over 2,000 years. There is no definitive cure for all cases. Do not be alarmed. Many gout sufferers have cured their gout using different remedies. These remedies are described on this website. A great deal is known, and it's important you understand the causes of gout. So let's begin.
A gout definition is this... Monosodium urate crystals, made of a compound of sodium and monosodium urate from uric acid (MSU) and which are covered by certain types of proteins, are deposited in joints, tendons, kidneys and other places. Usually they are found in joints. The favourite first location for these gout crystals are the joints of the big toes. Or they are deposited in joints in the hands, wrists, elbows, ankles, knees and other locations. Over time these gout crystals can enlarge to form tophi which are knobbly shaped lumps of crystals. If this is the case,the gout worsens. MSU crystals have usually built up over a long period of time. The long term cause of gout therefore, is linked to the level of uric acid in the body because the MSU crystals are largely made of uric acid.
EXCESSIVELY HIGH URIC ACID Uric acid acts as an antioxidant in the body. As an antioxidant it acts to destroy the threat of free radicals which if unchecked destroy cells. So it’s not a devil's substance, unless you have gout. The body obtains uric acid from two sources. The most important by far is the liver (75-80%). The remainder comes from our diet. The amount produced by the liver is determined by our genetic code and our biochemistry. Uric acid from our diet is made from substances called purines in food and beverages. Different foods, and different beverages, contain varying levels of purines. Some foods are low purine, others are high in purines. We’ll be looking at purines in detail elsewhere on this website. So both the actions of the liver and of purines from foods are one of the causes of gout.
Which is more important for our level of uric acid, supply or excretion? Most gout accounts say that the uric acid level is caused more by how much we excrete than by how much we produce or intake. In over 2/3 of gout cases the cause of gout is not expelling enough uric acid. It is important to keep this in mind - getting rid of it satisfactorily is more important than self manufacture or obtaining it from purines in foods and beverages. If it isn’t expelled it builds up in the blood and tissues. So if uric acid is being efficiently expelled it is likely that supply (liver production and purines from diet) is a cause of gout. A high level of uric acid in the body is called hyperuricemia. Although most people with gout have hyperuricemia, here’s another key fact to keep in mind. Hyperuricemia does not mean that it has been their cause of gout. This is because some people who have gout have normal levels of uric acid, and about 80% of people with high levels of uric acid never get gout. What we know is that the MSU crystals are partly made of uric acid. The amount of uric acid in the blood that’s considered normal is below 7.0 mg/dL for men, slightly less for women (6.5mg/dL) Above 6.5-7.0 mg/dL most likely means hyperuricemia and therefore it can become a cause of gout. Uric acid measurement mg/dL means milligrams per decilitre (deciliter). It's a measurement of the concentration of uric acid in a decilitre of blood. The higher the mg of uric acid in a dL in blood, the higher the uric acid level. The concentration of uric acid may also be expressed as mmol/L - millimoles per litre (liter). mmol/L is sometimes expressed as µmol/L. mg/dL is a popular measurement in the U.S. In most other countries mmol/L (µmol/L) is more commonly used. Gout flare ups The most common, more detailed, explanation of a gout flare up is that pain, inflammation and all the other nasty symptoms begin when the immune system “thinks” that the MSU crystals are foreign bodies. A type of white blood cell called neutrophils attack the crystals and this is what causes inflammation and pain. The attack subsides when the crystals are coated by types of proteins. Once coated, the neutrophils do not now “regard” the crystals as foreign bodies, the attack is over and the flare up subsides. A truce between your immune system and the MSU gout crystals has been declared but the war is not over. Gout attacks can return at any time especially under the conditions that are causes of gout flare ups (the triggering conditions).
This website specializes in gout, but it's only one form of arthritis. Gout differs from other forms because the body's uric acid level is an important cause and possible cure of the problem. This is not the case with other forms of arthritis. You can visit
www.help-with-arthritis-pain.com
if you don't have gout but wish to learn about other forms of arthritis (eg osteoarthritis,rheumatoid arthritis and others).
This site would be very helpful if you seek an arthritis cure,or help for another joint disease; also if you suffer from gout and another kind of arthritis. It has many useful ideas about arthritis pain reduction and arthritis remedies.
How gout is seen - A view from the pastThis probably 18th century print, shows a sufferer with advanced gout. Gout in his right foot has caused it to be amputated, but he still has gout, most likely in the right knee, because he needs to keep his right leg elevated. The expression on his face suggests he has accepted the condition and his circumstances.He is stuck at home and can't go out fishing so he has installed a fishing tub in his home. In fact his clothes suggest he is fishing at night because he is unable to sleep. Contrary to the 18th century, and later, myth that gout is only a rich man's disease, his surroundings are not lavish. Unfortunately, in that century they did not know that some fish are high purine, nor that excess uric acid from purines is one of the causes of gout. The link between excess uric acid and gout was not discovered until the mid 19th century by the British physician Sir Alfred Garrod. So if the fishing tub holds mackerel, sardines, anchovies and some other fish, his hobby is actually making his gout worse. He is however, right to keep warm by his fire.
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