But after the menopause, oestrogen levels go down and urate levels go up. This is because the female hormone oestrogen increases how much urate is filtered out by the kidneys.
Women rarely develop gout before the menopause. It can affect men of any age, but the risk is greater as you get older. Gout is about four times more common in men than women. These conditions can all lower how much urate is filtered out by your kidneys.
The more overweight you are, the more urate your body produces, and this may be more than your kidneys can cope with.īeing overweight also makes it more likely that you’ll have: Gout is much more common in people who are overweight. This is the most common cause of primary gout, especially when several family members are affected, such as your parents or grandparents. TophiĮven though your kidneys can be completely healthy, sometimes the genes you’ve inherited make it more likely that your kidneys don’t flush urate out as well as they should. This is also known as acute CPP crystal arthritis, which used to be called ‘pseudogout’. Similar attacks can be caused by a condition called acute calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis. This is probably because these parts of the body are cooler, and low temperatures make it more likely for crystals to form. Gout attacks are especially common in joints at the ends of your legs and arms, such as in your fingers and toes. It’s not common to have gout in joints towards the centre of your body, such as the spine, shoulders or hips. It’s possible for several joints to be affected at the same time. The symptoms develop quickly and are at their worst within just 12 to 24 hours of first noticing that anything is wrong.Īny light contact with the affected joint is very painful – even the weight of a bedsheet or wearing a sock can be unbearable.Īlthough gout most often affects the big toe, other joints may also be affected, including: If gout is left untreated, attacks can become more common and may spread to new joints.Īttacks typically affect the joint at the base of the big toe and often start in the early hours of the morning. The attack usually settles after about five to seven days, but it can go on for longer. Doctors describe this sudden development of symptoms as ‘acute’.
#GOUT FLARE UP SKIN#
The skin over the joint often appears shiny and may peel off a little as the attack settles.Īttacks usually come on very quickly, often during the night. During an attack of gout the affected joint becomes: