Cause of gout
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Loading ...The cause of gout is because there is too much uric acid in the blood stream. Uric acid is also known as urate. Uric acid is a naturally occurring chemical and is made when the body breaks up products containing nucleoprotein, this naturally occurring by product should be removed by the kidneys.
Excess uric acid remains in the blood stream if not enough is removed by the kidneys and passed as urine. There are several reasons this could occur, the most common is inherited abnormalities in the kidneys, it can also be caused by eating too many foods containing nucleoprotein or by taking certain drugs. Inherited abnormalities in the kidneys rarely cause any problems rather than gout.
Gout is more common if there is a family history of the condition, in men it can occur any time after puberty but in women it is very unlikely to occur until after the menopause. Gout affects five times as many men as women, and can be more common if the individual is overweight.
Drinking large amounts of alcohol, or eating too many purine rich foods, or simply by having high blood pressure, or being overweight, any of these factors can lead to increased uric acid levels in the blood.
Gout can be triggered by prolonged stress, injury, abnormal physical activity, excess weight and drugs.
Gout is always considered as a rich mans illness, however this is not always the case. Although gout can be caused by eating too many rich foods, it can also be caused by a number of other factors.
An acute attack of gout usually occurs at night or during the early morning, anything touching it is extremely painful.
The causes and treatments of gout are quite well understood, and normally the best cure for gout is a lifestyle change.
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