What Causes Gout?
What Causes Gout?
What Causes Gout?
How does it affect your body?
If you are suffering from this debilitating condition, you may be wondering what causes Gout.
Gout is caused by having too much uric acid in the blood. There are two sources of uric acid. It comes from your diet and is created by the body. The kidneys typically filter out any additional uric acid, which is then excreted in the urine. Monosodium urate crystals can build up in the joints and tendons if the body produces too much uric acid or doesn’t eliminate it in the urine. Intense inflammation brought on by these crystals results in discomfort, oedema, and redness.
What specifically causes gout? The most frequent cause is excessive alcohol consumption, particularly beer. Gout used to be referred to as “the disease of kings” because it was typically diagnosed in affluent men who overindulged in food and alcohol. Now that we know, anyone can experience it. It may be related to trauma or surgery, hospital stays stress, diets rich in meat and shellfish, as well as specific medications like antibiotics. Gout can also develop in some malignancies or tumours. Additionally, there is a connection between lead toxicity, enzyme shortages, renal problems and gout. Psoriasis and gout are sometimes associated. People who have had organ transplants are more likely to experience it due to the frequent need for medicines. Your family may have a history of gout.
It frequently occurs in conjunction with other prevalent diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. If the body’s uric acid level is not kept under control, repeat gout attacks are common.
Decreased uric acid excretion What causes Gout
The most frequent cause of gout is decreased uric acid excretion. Your kidneys typically eliminate uric acid from your body. Your uric acid level rises when this doesn’t happen effectively.
The root cause could be inherited, or you could have kidney issues that reduce your ability to eliminate uric acid.
Kidney damage from lead poisoning and some medications, such as diuretics and immunosuppressants, can result in uric acid retention. High blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes can also impair kidney function.
Increased uric acid production What causes Gout
Gout can also be caused by increased uric acid production. The root reason for elevated uric acid production is typically unknown. It may occur under the following circumstances, which may result in enzyme abnormalities:
- lymphoma
- leukaemia
- hemolytic anaemia
- psoriasis
A congenital defect, obesity, or a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation therapy are potential causes.
High in purines diet
DNA and RNA naturally include purines as chemical building blocks. They transform into uric acid when your body breaks them down. The human body naturally contains certain purines. What causes Gout, however, can result from a diet heavy in purines.
Some meals are particularly rich in purines and can increase blood levels of uric acid. These foods high in purine consist of:
- Kidneys, liver, and other organ meats
- Sweetbreads
- Red meat
- Oily fish, such as sardines, anchovies, and herring
- Some vegetables, including cauliflower and asparagus
- Mushrooms
- Beans
Risk factors What causes Gout?
Gout symptoms are more common in men than in women. Most men are diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 50. After menopause, the condition affects women more frequently.
In children and younger adults, gout is uncommon.
Numerous drugs have the potential to raise your gout risk. These consist of the following:
- Low-dose aspirin every day. Aspirin taken at low doses is frequently used to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
- Diuretics with thiazides. Congestive heart failure (CHF), excessive blood pressure, and other diseases are all treated with these drugs.
- Immunosuppressive medications. Immunosuppressive medications, such as cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), are prescribed for rheumatologic diseases and following organ transplants.
- Levodopa (Sinemet). The preferred course of action for those with Parkinson’s disease is this.
- Niacin, is also referred to as vitamin B-3. Niacin is used to raise the amount of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the blood.
Gout diagnosis is more likely to occur in people with blood relations who have the ailment.
Moderate to excess drinking can raise the risk of gout. This often translates to more than two drinks per day for the majority of men, or one drink per day for all women and any man over the age of 65.
Due to its high purine content, beer in particular has been linked to the problem. But a 2014 study found that alcohol, including wine, beer, and liquor, can all lead to recurrent gout attacks. Find out more information on the connection between alcohol and gout.
Gout is also linked to lead exposure at high levels.
Gout is more prevalent in those who have the following illnesses and conditions:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Hypothyroidism
- Psoriasis
- Kidney disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Hemolytic anaemia
Triggers of What causes Gout?
Additional factors that could be the reason for what causes gout attacks include:
- Infection
- Joint injury
- Crash diets
- Surgery
- Medication that causes a rapid lowering of uric acid levels
- Dehydration
Outlook
By limiting your alcohol use and eating a diet low in purines, you can lessen your risk of getting gout. It is impossible to prevent what causes gout, such as kidney disease or family history.
If you’re worried that you might get gout, talk to your doctor.
They can devise a strategy to lessen your vulnerability to the disease. For instance, they might take into account your gout risk factors (such as a specific medical condition) before recommending certain medications.
But if you do get gout, don’t worry; it may be treated with a combination of prescription drugs, dietary modifications, and complementary therapies.