Many people don’t think about gout, a form of arthritis, until they are diagnosed.
It may be helpful to know if you are at risk for getting this painful chronic problem.
What Is Gout?
Gout is a disease that is caused by high levels of uric acid in your body.
This leads to sharp crystals forming and they cause a tremendous amount of joint pain.
The pain typically starts in a big toe and then can occur in other joints. Joints affected are using those in arms and legs like the ankle, knee, hand and foot.
It also causes swelling.
Gout doesn’t affect people all the time but comes in the form of attacks, which can be painful.
Who Can Get Gout?
Technically, gout can affect anyone as it doesn’t appear to be a genetic ailment.
However, there are groups of people who are typically more affected than others.
Men are more prone to getting gout than women.
Men are also more prone to getting gout earlier than women.
Doctors say men have more uric acid than women for the majority of their lives and that makes them three times more likely to suffer from gout over women.
Women usually start suffering from gout after menopause because the absence of menopause raises the uric acid levels in their bodies.
Other Risk Factors
While doctors can’t predetermine who will get gout, there are risk factors that indicate some populations are more likely to suffer from it than others.
Those who are obese are at high risk, as well as those who suffer from other diseases like congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease.
Lifestyle Can Be Key
Key risk factors stem from lifestyles, which could be another reason why men may be affected more than women since men tend to eat more meat and less healthy options than women.
Those who eat a lot of animal proteins and drink a good bit of alcohol are more at risk.
So, all those fast food meals and weekend bar get-togethers may also cause you to suffer from gout later on.
Your doctor may prescribe medication but will also likely advise you on lifestyle changes that can reduce your symptoms.
