Women also get gout, but because of the effects of female estrogen, women rarely get gout before menopause. After menopause, the incidence of gout in women is comparable to that in men, because of the loss of estrogen protection. Therefore, the clinical symptoms of gout in women, like those in men, are acute, with redness, swelling, heat and pain in the joints, often accompanied by joint dysfunction and elevated uric acid. Treatment is also staged, with active anti-inflammatory and pain relief during the acute phase to reduce the inflammatory response. After the acute phase is relieved, regular and effective uric acid-lowering treatment is the key to gout treatment.