Gout is a painful form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in the joints. It usually occurs in the big toe with other common places being the fingers, knee, and wrist. It’s a result of high uric acid levels in the blood. Uric acid forms into small crystals within the joints causing abrupt, sharp pain. These gout attacks normally happen at night when you least expect it.
The symptoms of gout are pain, swelling, and redness in the joint. It can hurt and be difficult to move the joint during an attack. The pain can increase over the first 12-hours, with the gout attack typically lasting seven to 10 days. The Arthritis Foundation tells us that 6 million men and 2 million women in American will experience a gout attack. With 60-percent of those who have had a gout attack will have a second one within a year.
1. Anti-Inflammatory Medications
If you are experiencing the pain and swelling from a gout attack one of the first things you should do is take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication like ibuprofen or naproxen. These NSAIDs should shorten the length of the gout attack and help manage the pain. You’ll see the best results if you take them within the first 24-hours says the Arthritis Foundation.
Your doctor may suggest a prescription anti-inflammatory medication for your gout called a corticosteroid. This medication is a strong anti-inflammatory drug that reduces pain and swelling. It is available as both an oral or injection medication. According to the Arthritis Foundation, another medication called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) can stimulate “…the body to produce corticosteroids naturally, can help treat a gout attack.”