Gout - Doctor advises
Hello, I am 30 years old and could I already suffer from gout? I am slim, so I am not overweight. I have developed small swellings on my index fingers and knuckles. Could it be gout? The swelling is not painful.
Answer
Gout is a disease that can start to manifest itself at a younger age. It is a metabolic disease characterized by high levels of uric acid in the blood. The acute phase of gout is manifested by pain in the joints, initially especially the joints of the hands and feet. The affected joint is swollen, red, hot and extremely sensitive, the skin around it is red, tense, shiny and hot. Gout is caused by higher levels of uric acid in the body (hyperuricaemia) and the subsequent deposition of uric acid crystals (tophi) in the joints and their surroundings. There may be several causes of higher uric acid levels. The primary causes are insufficient excretion of uric acid from the body or excessive production of uric acid (higher uric acid concentrations also result from excessive consumption of foods such as meat, legumes, offal or excessive alcohol consumption). In your case, however, the pain is not present, it may be another rheumatic disease. Physical methods of treatment are very effective in the case of gout and rheumatic diseases. Light therapy shows high effectiveness in the treatment of these diseases. It suppresses inflammatory processes, promotes blood circulation and thus suppresses swelling, accelerates the regeneration and restoration of tissues. After regular applications (2 times a day for 10 minutes on the affected area) there is a suppression of swelling, an increase in mobility, suppression of possible pain. Light treatment is a very effective, yet completely undemanding and safe method, gentle to the body, which effectively solves pain and swelling of joints and other musculoskeletal disorders. In any case, I recommend a visit to a specialist doctor and a blood test (determination of the rheumatic factor, uric acid level).