We often think that gout is a condition for older people. We tend to not think of children or teenagers suffering from it. Nevertheless, the truth is that gout in children and teenagers is a real deal as well. Give this article a read if you want to know and learn more about this. Worry less, because you will be guaranteed of informative facts. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the read!
Gout in Children and Teenagers: Can they acquire gout?
As what we’ve stated earlier, the older people are not the only ones getting affected by the condition. Luckily, gout in children is not that common. However, it may affect anybody from the age of 12 and above. Even though gout in children doesn’t happen frequently, their own bodies may start to form excessive uric acid at a very young age. Given the condition that they form bad eating habits in the early stage of life.
For instance, kids who grow up eating a diet that is high in sugar and low in fiber are at an increased risk of acquiring gout, and some other health problems. Remember, a kid’s diet that is high in meat and sugars may eventually lead to a much higher uric acid that will stay in the blood. This is what will lay the groundwork for gout in the future.
Just like everybody else, children may experience reddened, hot, and inflamed joints due to gout. This makes it difficult for them to move. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, children may experience gout in any of the joints in their bodies.
Moreover, children are also at much higher risk of developing gout if they already have diabetes, obesity, kidney stones, or various blood cancers. One institution said that doctors typically test the uric acid levels in the blood if there is a possibility for gout. Moreover, the treatments are just similar to those with adults.
Gout in Children and Teenagers: Child Obesity
In North America, child obesity is a serious matter. We know that obesity may lead to various conditions, including gout. According to the CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are dangerous trends in obesity. This includes the following:
- In the year 2012, more than 1/3 of adolescents and children were obese or overweight.
- Childhood obesity has more than doubled up in children and quadrupled in the adolescents for the past 30 years.
- The fraction of children ages 6 to 11 in the United States who are obese amplified from 7 percent in the year 1980 to about 18 percent in the year 2012. Likewise, the fraction of adolescents ages 12 to 19 has an increase from 5 percent to about 21 percent over the same time.
CDC also made a list of the long-term health effects of childhood obesity due to poor children diet. They are as follows:
- Adolescents and children who are obese are expected to be obese as an adult. And are more at risk for various adult health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, and cancers.
- Adolescents and children who are obese are expected to have a greater risk for joint and bone problems, sleep apnea, as well as social and psychological problems like poor self-esteem and stigmatization.
- Obese adolescents are more expected to have prediabetes, an illness wherein the blood glucose levels specify a high risk for the development of diabetes.
- Obese youth are more expected to have a risk for cardiovascular illnesses like high blood pressure and high cholesterol level.
Gout in Children and Teenagers: Final Say
I guess we can agree on this because we see it every day that the majority of the children spend lesser time playing outdoors. They tend to spend their time on the computer and television. This is not good at all because children may lack physical activities and exercises, which may add to their obesity
Moreover, some other causes of gout in children and teenagers may be simply from inherited or genetic conditions, which may cause the overproduction of uric acid. As you can seem gout can really affect anybody, that’s why it is important that we observe what they eat, the things they do, and the medications they take. Always and forever, prevention is better than cure.
