How to Manage a Severe Gout Flare-up

Gout is a joint condition that happens when hard, pointy uric acid crystals accumulate in your joints, damaging the joint surface and causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. Many people first notice symptoms in the big toe joint, but any joint can be affected.

At Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, Joel S Segalman, FACFAS, FACFAO, and Stephen Lazaroff, DPM, FACFAS, understand that gout is a condition that requires a solution. If you have gout, here’s what they say you can do to help manage your symptoms.

Gout basics

More than nine million Americans suffer from gout, a type of arthritis that typically affects men more than women. Like other types of arthritis, gout happens more frequently with older age, and it’s also more common among people with obesity, hypertension, kidney disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Uric acid crystals form from foods high in purines, chemical compounds your body uses to make DNA and RNA. Red meat, sugary foods, some types of seafood (like sardines and anchovies), and alcohol contain high levels of purines. 

Once consumed, purines get converted to uric acid. While the bulk of the uric acid produced gets excreted, a buildup of the substance can lead to crystal formations that get “stuck” in your joints. Some uric acid crystals can also build up in your kidneys, causing kidney stones.

While gout can affect a single joint (like the big toe joint), it can also occur in multiple joints, making it hard to differentiate from other types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type. But unlike OA, gout symptoms tend to occur in cycles, causing flare-ups when symptoms are much worse.

Managing a gout flare-up

While there’s no cure for gout, you can manage it with a combination of lifestyle changes and medical therapies.

Medication

Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be beneficial in relieving mild symptoms of gout, while severe cases may require prescription NSAIDs. Corticosteroids help ease inflammation when NSAIDs don’t offer sufficient relief, and acid-reducing medicines may even reduce the likelihood of future flare-ups.

Diet changes

Uric acid derived from purine-rich foods causes gout, so it’s not surprising that dietary changes can help, too. Avoid trigger foods, like red meat, sugary foods (particularly foods with high-fructose corn syrup), and alcohol during flare-ups and overall to prevent future exacerbations.

Hydration

Drinking plenty of water helps your body eliminate more uric acid through urination. It also helps avoid uric acid crystal buildup that can lead to painful kidney stones.

Compresses

Using ice packs or cold compresses helps reduce inflammation inside the joint during a flare-up. Apply the ice pack for 15-20 minutes several times daily, and never place ice directly on your skin.

Elevation

Elevating the affected joint helps reduce swelling and the discomfort it can cause. Try to elevate the affected joint throughout the day if possible.

Rest and activity modification

While it’s important to stay active when you have arthritis, during a flare-up, it’s better to rest the joint and avoid straining it until inflammation subsides. Consider using a cane to take pressure off the joint for attacks affecting joints in your feet or legs.

Stress management

While stress may not cause a flare-up, it can make your symptoms harder to manage. Incorporate stress-management activities into your daily routine, like deep-breathing exercises, meditation, or even reading or listening to music — anything that helps you de-stress and takes the focus off your discomfort.

Call our office

Finally, when you have a flare-up, call the office to learn how we can help. We may prescribe medication for pain and inflammation, recommend physical therapy, or provide you with lifestyle guidance and support to reduce joint damage in the future. Regular visits help prevent flare-ups in the future, too.

Don’t let gout control your life. To learn how we can find a solution for your painful symptoms — and protect your joints, too — request an appointment online or over the phone today with the Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists team in Waterbury and Newtown, Connecticut.