One is probably a victim of a gout attack if they are woken up by intense pain in their big toe or other joints without any warning. Gout is a type of arthritis that affects the big toe, knees, ankles, thumbs, and elbows. Attacks of gout can cause excruciating pain and may occur at unexpected times. Gouty arthritis is caused by the body’s response to the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints.

Chronic sufferers of gout may have tiny, hard lump-like deposits accumulating in the hands, elbows, earlobes, and feet. These deposits are essentially uric acid crystals, causing pain and stiffness of joints. When these deposits are found in the kidneys, they may lead to dangerous kidney stones.

Signs and symptoms of gout
Excessive uric acid in the blood gets deposited in the joints as crystals, which leads to gout pain. The most common location of the deposition of these crystals is the big toe. One is able to know of gout through its symptoms:

• Sudden, severe pain in the joints, which occurs in the middle of the night or early in the morning
• Tenderness of joints
• Warm or redness at joints
• Stiffness in the joints
• Restricted movement due to stiff joints

Best treatment options for gout
Mild gout can be managed with some changes in one’s diet. Moderate to severe gout attacks require medical treatment and some home-based treatments to manage the pain.

If one suspects gout, the first step is to receive medical help. Proper diagnosis is essential for deciding the line of treatment for gout. Once gout is confirmed, the doctor may prescribe some medication to relieve inflammation of the joints. There are medicines specific to gout pain, which may also be prescribed. For some people, over-the-counter painkillers or steroid-based medication also ease out the pain.

• Taking adequate rest : Resting the affected joints is a good way to ease out the pain of a gout attack.
• Ice pack : Ice packs are also a great way to ease out the pain and inflammation at the joints.
• Changes in diet : A diet rich in animal protein is known to aggravate the symptoms of gout, and alcohol intake also triggers gout pain.
• Increasing the water intake : Increasing the intake of water helps in flushing out the uric acid deposits at the joints.

A gout attack that does not seem to get better even after a week of these treatments may require a different approach to treatment.

Conclusion
It is estimated that over 8 million Americans are affected by gouty arthritis. It is found that men are affected by gout more than women. Men are likely to develop gout between the ages of 30 and 50 years. On the other hand, women are more likely to develop gouty arthritis after menopause. It is, however, very rare in children and young adults. Gout was nicknamed as “the disease of kings” because wealthy people who drank and ate too much were mostly affected by it.