Gout Specialist

What is gout?

Gout most often affects your feet — particularly your big toe — although it can sometimes be a problem in other joints, like the knees. It's a form of arthritis that develops from an excess of uric acid in your body. Uric acid is a waste product normally flushed out through your kidneys.

If you have too much uric acid in your system or your kidneys aren't processing the acid as they should, the excess forms sharp crystals in your joints that can cause attacks of severe pain. Other symptoms include joint swelling and reddened skin that's hot to the touch.

Why would I get gout?

Gout can become a problem if you consume large quantities of uric acid through your diet. Foods high in uric acid include:

• Shellfish
• Gravy
• Red meat
• Soups
• Liver
• Sugary drinks
• High-fructose foods

Excessive alcohol consumption and certain medications can also raise your uric acid levels. Examples include low-dose aspirin, some types of diuretics (water pills), and immunosuppressants (drugs you might need if you have an autoimmune disorder).

The uric acid crystals that cause gout sometimes collect in your urinary tract, where they can form kidney stones.

What should I do if I have gout?

Lifestyle changes like minimizing your alcohol intake and cutting out foods and drinks that raise your uric acid levels can help reduce the frequency of your gout attacks.

Cherries and their juice may lessen the severity of your pain during an attack of gout while drinking skim milk every day lowers the uric acid levels in your blood.

Dr. Rajbhandary also offers effective treatments for gout at Rheumatology Clinic of DFW, PLLC.

How is gout treated?

Some patients manage their gout using short-term, high-dose nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If you can't use NSAIDs, steroid medication or injections into the affected areas are a valuable alternative.

Dr. Rajbhandary can prescribe colchicine medication to ease an active gout attack and help prevent further episodes. Another treatment that might benefit you is anakinra, a biologic drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Some patients find it provides fast relief from gout.

If you frequently suffer from gout attacks or develop kidney stones, Dr. Rajbhandary might suggest you take medication that lowers the uric acid levels in your body. These drugs help prevent attacks of gout from occurring in the future.

Medications like allopurinol and febuxostat block uric acid production, pegloticase breaks the acid down, and probenecid and lesinurad help your kidneys remove any excess uric acid.

If you're experiencing symptoms of gout, call Rheumatology Clinic of DFW, PLLC, today or book an appointment online.