News — Gout

Intense bouts of joint pain, frequently at night, and days or weeks of lingering soreness are typical symptoms of inflammatory arthritis known as gout. Flares are the medical term for these excruciating pain episodes. Gout usually affects the big toe joint but can also affect other minor toe joints, the ankle, and the knee. Gout may manifest as redness, edema, and warmth near the afflicted joint. Uric acid overproduction in the organism, or hyperuricemia, is the primary cause of gout. The body produces uric acid to aid in the breakdown of purines, which are organic chemical substances in many meals....