People who have abnormally high levels of uric acid in the blood are at a higher risk of developing gout.
Possible symptoms include redness, warmth, swelling, and pain in a joint. This condition can affect various body parts, such as the wrist, ankle, knee, and foot.
Gout attacks can be quite painful; therefore, treatment is focused on first relieving the attack and then preventing future attacks from occurring.
Medications used to relieve a gout attack include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (
NSAIDs), corticosteroids, and
colchicine. Two different types of drugs are used to prevent attacks from occurring: one class controls uric acid in the blood; the other class of drugs keeps uric acid below concentrations at which crystals can form.
(To learn more about this condition, no matter if it focuses on the ankle, big toe, or other parts of the foot, click Gout Symptoms and Gout Treatments. These articles describe other signs of a gout attack, the specific medications used, and what to expect during treatment.)
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