How Is Gout Diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and family history of gout. Signs and symptoms of gout include:

• Hyperuricemia (high level of uric acid in the blood)
• Uric acid crystals in joint fluid
• More than one attack of acute arthritis
• Arthritis that develops in 1 day, producing a swollen, red, and warm joint
• Attack of arthritis in only one joint, usually the toe, ankle, or knee.

To confirm a diagnosis of gout, your doctor may draw a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for crystals associated with gout.

How Is Gout Treated?

Doctors use medicines to treat an acute attack of gout, including:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Motrin*
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Colchicine, which works best when taken within the first 12 hours of an acute attack.

Sometimes doctors prescribe NSAIDs or colchicine in small daily doses to prevent future attacks. There are also medicines that lower the level of uric acid in the blood.

    * Brand names are provided as examples only, and their inclusion does not mean that these products are endorsed by this website. Also, if a particular brand name is not mentioned, this does not mean or imply that the product is unsatisfactory.

What Can People With Gout Do to Stay Healthy?

Some things that you can do to stay healthy are:

• Take the medicines your doctor prescribes as directed.
• Tell your doctor about all the medicines and vitamins you take.
• Plan followup visits with your doctor.
• Maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid foods that are high in purines, and drink plenty of water.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy body weight. Ask your doctor about how to lose weight safely. Fast or extreme weight loss can increase uric acid levels in the blood.

(source: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)