Pain is the most typical and haunting symptom of gout. Many experts also consider it one of the most severe forms of pain in medical conditions. Pain often appears suddenly, is difficult to predict and may be affected by weather, diet or daily activities.
Gout usually progresses through four stages including: asymptomatic hyperuricemia, acute gout, the stage between gout attacks and chronic gout with tophi granules. Among them, the most easily recognizable manifestation is redness, swelling, heat and pain in the joints.
Severe joint pain
The big toe joint is the most commonly affected area. When gout attacks appear, patients may feel severe pain, even a slight touch can cause discomfort. Over time, the pain can spread to the ankles, knees, fingers or other joints, and relapse with more frequency.
Joint swollen, red, burning
In the acute stage, the injured joint area is often swollen, red and hotter than normal. Some cases also experience difficulty walking or moving due to prolonged pain.
The pain usually appears at night
Many patients say that gout attacks usually start at night or early morning. The pain comes suddenly, intensely like needles or knives stabbing, easily causing the patient to wake up and lose sleep.
Gout is closely related to unhealthy lifestyles such as eating a lot of purine-rich foods, drinking alcohol, staying up late or being less active. If not adjusted early, the risk of the disease will increase.
