Gout is a type of painful inflammation that occurs when an accumulation of uric acid form in the joints. Uric acid is a component that is usually broken down from purines that are part of our diet and present in our body tissues. A gout attack is so painful and a person who suffers such an attack feels a burning pain like they are being pricked by thousands of needles in the joint.

What Causes a Gout Attack?

Gout is triggered by a buildup of a blood chemical- uric acid. Usually, uric acid is present in body tissues as it's usually made by the body and is generally harmless since most of it passes out with the urine. People who suffer a gout attack commonly have extraordinary uric acid levels in their blood. With such high levels of uric acid backlog, tiny uric acid crystals tend to form and usually gather in a joint. The formation infuriates joint tissues resulting to a painful infection and swelling - a gout attack. A gout attack can also be caused by stressful happenings, drugs, alcohol, or other sicknesses.

Symptoms of a Gout Attack

The most commonly affected joint is the one near the big toe. Gout will also occasionally affect other joints including wrists, elbows, ankles, fingers, knees, heels, and insteps. Symptoms of a gout attack can include the following:

• Warmth, intense discomfort, swelling, and joint tenderness. Such pain regularly happens at night and can worsen and continue for hours. In severe cases, the attack can extend for about a week.
• Reddish discoloration and soreness all over the affected joint.
• Restricted movement and stiffness in joints.
• Affected joint may start to peel and itch as the pain and gout is healing.

Who Can be Affected by Gout?

For every 100 American adults, one gets a gout attack. Gout affects both men and women. However, men tend to suffer gout attacks much more than women. In the US alone, gout occurrence of has risen over the last years, and it now affects about 8.3 million American adults. If your family has suffered gout attacks, there's a 20 percent chance that the children may get affected too as studies show that it tends to occur in certain families.

How to Manage Gout Attack

If you or your loved have suffered such an attack, all you want to do is trying and get rid of the pain as soon as possible. For gout pain relief, here are some tips that can help you deal with the pain and the discomfort:

• Take medicine – if you already have drugs to reduce uric acid levels and to lessen the possibility of gout attacks, take them to help reduce the effects of the attack.
• Rest and elevate your foot.
• Try to relax since stress will only make it worse.
• Apply the ice pack to the affected joint for about 15 minutes and keep reapplying during an attack; however, with reapplication, you should wait until your skin returns to normal temperature first.
• Take plenty of fluids to ensure you're well hydrated.
• Avoid banging or hurting the affected joint.

All in all, always call your doctor as soon as possible, and let him/her know what is happening. Treatment that is done right away will minimize the effects of the attack, it's severity, and duration.

Top 5 Routes for "Gout Pain Relief"

1. WebND WebMD's definition of gout and the causes behind it. This article reviews the percentages of the human population that eventually gets Gout.
2. Arthritis Foundation A trusted source's guide to managing a gout attack.
3. Everyday Health 10 steps to help ease an active Gout attack. Steps are outlined in a list form and are easy to follow.
4. CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's explains what Gout is, the signs and symptoms, the causes, what increases the chances of getting gout, and much more.
5. Science Daily Interesting article from Science Daily that reviews the increase prevalence of gout found in the last two decades. An increase in obesity and hypertension is thought to be some of the likely contributors.