One of the worst non-deadly illnesses there is in this world is gout. Rarely, it inflicts various direct damage. However, the pain as well as the discomfort that it brings about are factually life-changing. Additionally, the condition is sneaky and may cause attacks that are unexpected by people in unexpected times. Therefore, knowing what it really is and what causes its onset can be a necessity if you really want to live a healthy and more comfortable life.
In this article, you will get to know the answer to the questions, “What is gout? And what causes it?” So sit back, relax, and read on to this article. I assure you, after reading this article, you will have lots and lots of new knowledge about the condition.
Gout: The Basics
Podagra, gouty arthritis, or whatever devilish term that you wish to call it, gout is still a form of arthritis that is caused by various metabolic problems. Gout is actually characterized by the searing pain, swelling, or warmth of the affected joint, as well as the redness of the joint. Most of the times it bouts at night.
Most of the cases of gout start by way of attacking the big toe. And then a small number of attacks later, it’ll slowly crawl its own way up to your upper body. Thus affecting the joints just like those in the fingers and in the elbows. The period of the gout attacks may vary from one case to another. Moreover, it may last for about an hour or two, or may even be a couple of weeks. Occasionally, the overshot reactions are what cause it to persist for months and even for years. As the attack finally diminishes, there will be more attack to come if you don’t do anything to change your own lifestyle.
Often times, the tophaceous deposits may appear in several parts of the body. Tophus is the yellowish-white chalky nodules, which appear under the skin. Usually, it appears in the earlobes, as well as in the outer ear.
What really is causing the onset of the onset of the condition? Continue reading on!
Cause of Gout
The major cause of gout is the uric acid. The uric acid is the ones that crystallize in the joints and the ones that cause gout attacks. If they are already in the joints, it will be detected as a foreign entity and will then be attacked by the autoimmune system. Furthermore, the neutrophils will come in and will try to immerse the uric acid crystals.
Unhappily, they are not designed to do so, thus making it a battle that they can never win. When the neutrophils die, they will be releasing arachidonic acid, which plays an important role in the prompting the pain and explosion of the inflammation.
Furthermore, the uric acid crystallization is being boosted by the cold temperature. The lower the temperature of the solvent, the lesser the volume that will be needed for the uric acid to crystallize. This is actually the reason why gout commonly starts from the lower part of the body. The lower portion of the body is way cooler in comparison to the core. Therefore, the uric acid is being exposed to the cold temperature for a longer period of time. Moreover, it’s also the reason why the tophus forms into the earlobes and the outer ear.
Uric acid exists naturally in the body due to the fact that it is a waste product being produced when the purine is broken down. Furthermore, the purine may in turn be present wherever in the body. Providing there are cells, there will be purine. The purine is the building block of the building blocks of life. It is the raw material that’s used by the DNA. Purine is very important for the body. In order to excrete the purine, it must be broken down. Since it is a macromolecule just like proteins, it’ll not pass through the filtering units of the kidneys.
Purine is also present in EVERY food you eat, though some foods have remarkable amounts of it. Therefore, diet is a factor for the development of gout. However, the research proposes that diet is only at 13%. The main cause of the condition is purine –so better ward off from any purine-rich foods.
