HealthMatters
Medically reviewed by Paula Tanasa, M.D.
What’s gout?
Gout is a kind of inflammatory arthritis that happens when uric acid builds up in your blood and varieties tiny, needle-shaped crystals that may deposit virtually anyplace within the physique, together with within the joints, bones, coronary heart, backbone, kidney and eyes. These deposits can kind seen lumps within the joints, that are referred to as tophi.
Can ladies get gout?
Chances are you’ll marvel, can ladies get gout? The reply is straightforward: Sure.
Gout is nearly twice as widespread in males than in ladies — 5.2% of males and a couple of.7% of girls report having gout — however ladies can nonetheless get it.
Estrogen helps flush uric acid out of the physique. So, ladies are likely to get gout after they’ve gone by menopause, which causes them to lose estrogen. Ladies who haven’t gone by menopause can nonetheless get gout, but it surely’s much less widespread. These residing with continual kidney illness are additionally at a better threat.
Why it is best to take note of your threat for gout
Gout could sign different well being dangers, particularly for ladies.
In actual fact, one examine confirmed that ladies with gout had been 39% extra prone to have a coronary heart assault than ladies with out gout. One other examine discovered that ladies with gout had been extra doubtless than males to have hypertension, diabetes, kidney illness and weight problems.
Gout is on the rise in ladies
Within the final 20 years, instances of gout have greater than doubled amongst ladies.
At present, 2 million ladies within the U.S. have this inflammatory type of arthritis.
It’s not completely clear why gout charges are rising, however the ageing inhabitants and rising weight problems could also be elements.
Gout signs in ladies
Typical signs of gout are gout flares, which might trigger extreme ache, swelling, redness and soreness within the joints. This consists of the hallmark signal: ache in your huge toe. Gout signs in ladies might be completely different than the everyday signs, although. Whereas gout typically comes on out of the blue and intensely, ladies are extra doubtless than males to have joint ache that begins extra slowly and impacts a number of joints at a time. These joints embrace the knees, toes, wrists and fingers.
Although a basic signal of gout is acute ache within the huge toe, ladies typically get ache of their arms as a substitute. Consequently, healthcare suppliers can generally mistake gout for inflammatory osteoarthritis, which causes swelling and ache within the fingers.
Ladies are sometimes dismissed or ignored by healthcare suppliers total. This could come into play in a situation like gout, which is commonly misdiagnosed, particularly in ladies who don’t at all times have the telltale signs. So, it’s necessary to advocate for your self should you suspect you’ve got gout. A method to try this is to ask for a blood take a look at to measure your uric acid ranges. In case your stage is above 6 mg/dl and also you’re experiencing flares, you could have gout.
Gout analysis and coverings
For most individuals, gout flares might be managed with anti-inflammatory medicines like colchicine or steroids, or with oral drugs that scale back uric acid, the basis reason behind the illness. If in case you have gout that persists after taking oral drugs, speak to your healthcare supplier about your choices.
This useful resource was created with assist from Horizon Therapeutics.
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