Today, mom got nauseated and had chills. She was visited by the infectious disease doctor and given her lab results. The uric acid test for gout showed her uric acid levels were high and they changed her diagnosis from Cellulits to Gout.
Gout is an inflammatory joint disease that causes acute pain and swelling. It is a form of arthritis that develops when uric acid crystals form in and around the joints, most commonly affecting the big toe joint. This disease has long been associated with diet, particularly overindulgence in meat & alcohol.
Gout causes warmth, pain, swelling, redness & extreme tenderness of the affected joint and it may cause fever and chills. Gout may involve other joints of the feet, ankles, knees, wrists, fingers and elbows.
Over time, gout attacks may occur more frequently, involve more joints, have more severe symptoms and last longer. Medication (allopurinol/predinisone) along with some diet changes can reduce the amount of uric acid in the body. Drinking plenty of fluids is also needed to help flush uric acid from the body.
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