Gout Facts You Might Not Know

Trivia games have been around for a long time. People enjoy being able to not only share random facts with each other, but to use their knowledge to play games. These games can cover anything from narrow topics to broad categories. Still, most trivia questions deal with largely-unknown facts that are not terribly important. Many foot health issues like gout, however, are as unfamiliar to most people as trivia questions—but they are far more important for their health overall.

Gout is a chronic, serious problem that predominantly affects the feet. Even though it can turn someone’s life upside down, most people know very little about it. There are plenty of misconceptions about who it affects and how you can manage it, too. Like most things in health, though, accurate knowledge is power and can help you take better care of yourself.

Here’s some basic gout trivia and information about how you can live healthily with it:

• Gout is an unusual type of arthritis – Unlike other types of arthritis, this inflammation and joint damage comes from a build-up of uric acid crystals in the blood.
• It can affect any joint – The big toe is easily the most frequent victim to the disease, but anyone can develop it in any joint, including your ankles.
• Your diet could trigger a flare-up – Food is connected to gout, so what you eat could actually stimulate the pain.
• Flare-ups can be short or long – Some gout attacks only last a couple of days and aren’t very intense. However, they can last more than a couple weeks for some people.
• It doesn’t have a cure – This is a chronic disease with no known cure, so while you can manage the problem, you can’t eliminate it.

Living with gout means being intentional about your foot health, but it doesn’t mean the end of your activities, mobility, or even the foods you love. Most likely you will need to make a few lifestyle changes. One thing is for sure: gout trivia isn’t trivial. Our team at Advanced Foot & Ankle Specialists of Arizona will help you with every step of managing the problem. Make an appointment by calling or faxing: call (480) 963-9000 and fax (480) 963-0375.