LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Gout: Uric Acid
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Gout is a form of acute arthritis that causes severe pain and swelling in the joints. It most commonly affects the big toe, but may ... affect the heel, ankle, hand, wrist, or elbow. Gout usually comes on suddenly, goes away after 5–10 days, and can keep recurring. Gout is different from other forms of arthritis because it occurs when there are high levels of uric acid circulating in the blood, which can cause urate crystals to settle in the tissues of the joints.
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Gout... called crystal-induced arthritis, is an arthritic condition that occurs when uric acid crystals accumulate in the joints. Gout usually affects the large joint of the big toe, but can also affect other joints, such as the knee, ankle, foot, hand, wrist and elbow. In rare cases, it may later affect the shoulders, hips or spine. Gout does not spread from joint to joint.
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Gout is sometimes difficult to diagnose and can be confused with other illnesses, like a sprain or an infection. It is most commonly diagnosed with a physical examination, medical history, and possibly a test to measure the amount of uric acid in the blood. Your doctor may extract fluid from the affected joint, called synovial fluid, with a needle and examine it for crystals under a microscope.
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The Gout & Uric Acid Education Society commissioned the Opinion Research Corporation to administer the survey. A total of 1,024 interviews were conducted by phone among a random, nationwide sample of American adults age 18 and older, May 3-6, 2007. The percentage of error is plus or minus three percent for the entire sample of 1,024.
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Gout is sometimes confused with other forms of arthritis because the symptoms -- acute and episodic attacks of joint warmth, pain, swelling, and stiffness -- can be similar. One form of arthritis often confused with gout is called pseudogout. The pain, swelling, and redness of pseudogout can ... come on suddenly and may be severe, closely resembling the symptoms of gout. However, the crystals that irritate the joint are calcium phosphate crystals, not uric acid. Therefore, pseudogout is treated somewhat differently.
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Gout is caused by too much uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia). Hyperuricemia usually does no harm, and most people with high levels of uric acid in the blood never develop gout. When uric acid levels in the blood are too high, uric acid may form crystals that accumulate in the joints. The exact cause of hyperuricemia sometimes goes undiscovered, although inherited factors (genes) seem to play a role. Gout can seem to flare up without specific cause or can be brought on by factors such as being overweight, eating meats and seafood that are high in chemicals called purines, taking certain medications (especially aspirin and diuretics), and drinking too much alcohol.
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