I. How do you know you have gout?
Gout should be considered when you have the following symptoms.
1. Recurrent episodes of joint redness, swelling, heat and pain, typically in the metatarsophalangeal joints of the feet, and others including ankles, knees, wrists, elbows and metacarpophalangeal joints. In long-standing cases, there may be joint deformities, joint cavity effusion, gout stone formation around the joint or in the auricle, and white urate crystals may spill out after the stones break down. The attack is often accompanied by systemic symptoms such as chills and fever, headache, and general discomfort. The interval period is asymptomatic. Arthritis is effective for colchicine treatment.
2.More often seen in middle-aged and elderly men, overweight or obese people mostly.
3.Blood uric acid is usually greater than 380μmol/L (6.4mg/dl).
4.Exclude other causes of arthritis and secondary gout.
What should I do if I have gout?
No matter how old you are, as long as you have sudden joint pain that lasts for several days, you should go to a large hospital with a rheumatology department, have your blood uric acid measured to see if it exceeds the standard, and have your physician make a judgment as to whether you really have gout.
Once diagnosed with gout, the key is to go to a gout specialist, adhere to treatment and follow up. Do not believe in the “doctor” on the telephone pole. Our hospital has opened a special gout clinic and has accumulated rich clinical experience. Welcome to visit us.
What tests should be done when you have gout?
1. Routine examination: blood picture, urine and stool routine, liver and kidney function, ultrasound, electrocardiogram, full chest X-ray. Purpose of examination: Routine examination is necessary for a comprehensive understanding of human health. Those who have the conditions should try to have the examination.
2, gout patients in order to establish the diagnosis of the necessary tests: blood uric acid (is the most important test to diagnose gout), 24-hour uric acid measurement, urine PH measurement, creatinine clearance, X-ray examination of joint lesions (to understand whether the joint lesions are caused by gout), renal chart and kidney biopsy (to understand the damage to the kidneys caused by hyperuricemia), abdominal plain film and intravenous nephrography (to exclude urinary system uric acid salt stones)
3. Tests required for differential diagnosis: blood culture should be done to exclude infection if fever is present.
4. Tests required for the diagnosis of drug side effects: blood and liver and kidney function tests should be done before taking gout drugs, because some gout drugs cannot be taken when there is leukopenia and abnormal liver and kidney function.
Fourth, how should gout be treated?
1.When gout attacks, the purpose of treatment is to control the attacks. Therefore, pain relief is the main concern. Other blood uric acid-lowering drugs should be suspended. Gout attack can be controlled within 24 hours at the earliest, and at the latest, generally speaking, not more than 2 weeks. Available: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (there are Intaxin, Fenbendazole, etc.), colchicine, prednisone.
2.After the cessation of gout attack (acute attack of arthritis), it is called the interval of gout attack. The aim of treatment is to lower blood uric acid. Allopurinol, Ligurian, etc. can be used.
3.We should pay attention to diet control (low purine diet), alkalinize urine (soda tablets) and drink more water.
4.Treatment of complications and comorbidities: those with kidney damage and those with urinary tract stones should be treated accordingly. Combined with hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis, etc. should be given the appropriate treatment.
5. It is best to choose the combination of Chinese and Western medicine to effectively reduce the toxic side effects of Western medicine, enhance purine metabolism and uric acid excretion, and stabilize the uric acid level for a long time.
V. What should I pay attention to when taking gout medication?
1. Pay attention to regular monitoring of blood uric acid, and adjust the dosage and treatment plan according to the symptoms and blood uric acid condition.
2. Pay attention to the side effects of drugs. For example, Intacrine has gastrointestinal side effects and allopurinol is prone to allergic reactions.
3, during the medication, once there is discomfort, should promptly go to the hospital for follow-up, by the physician to determine whether the drug side effects caused.
4. The combination of Chinese and Western medicine is ideal for long-term treatment, which can effectively reduce the hepatic and renal toxicity of western drugs, enhance purine metabolism and promote uric acid excretion.