Frequently asked questions

Gout is a long-term condition. NIAMS describes it as one of the most controllable forms of arthritis with early diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle changes. This site does not promise a cure. The long-term plan is on Staying well.

Yes. NIAMS says gout is more common in men, and that women usually do not develop it before menopause, so they tend to develop it later. See Gout in women.

Usually not. NIAMS says that when gout comes with frequent flares or tophi, lifestyle changes alone are not enough and urate-lowering medicine is the mainstay. Food still matters as part of the plan. See Food and drink.

Flares can happen in the early months on urate-lowering medicine. The 2020 ACR guideline strongly recommends that an anti-inflammatory medicine be given alongside when urate-lowering medicine is started, because of those flares. A flare then is not proof the medicine failed. Call your clinician rather than stopping it. See The first months.

No. The 2020 ACR guideline made no recommendation on cherry or cherry extract because the evidence was low certainty. It is not a flare treatment and not a substitute for urate-lowering medicine. See Home measures.

NIAMS and MedlinePlus describe flares that typically get better within a week or two, with few or no symptoms in between for many people. The NHS adds that untreated attacks can last longer over time, and NIAMS says untreated flares may come more often and last longer. A flare that is unusually long, severe, or unlike your usual ones is a reason to contact a clinician. See What gout is.

NIAMS says flares can be triggered by certain foods, alcohol, certain medicines, physical trauma, or certain illnesses. The NHS lists an illness with a high temperature, too much alcohol or a very large meal, getting dehydrated, injuring a joint, and certain medicines. Do not stop a prescribed medicine because it appears on a list; ask the clinician who prescribed it. See Causes and triggers.

NIAMS lists a family history of gout among the factors that can raise the chance of developing it, along with high urate levels, being male, menopause, and increasing age. A risk factor is not a guarantee; many people with high urate never develop gout. See Causes and triggers.

NIAMS says flares often begin in the big toe or another lower-limb joint. The NHS notes it can also affect other joints in the feet, ankles, hands, wrists, elbows, or knees. See Image library and Pseudogout and gout.

A hot, swollen joint with fever, a joint you cannot bear weight on, or a flare unlike your usual ones. Infection can look like gout. See During a flare.

Clinicians commonly use colchicine, an NSAID, or a steroid. The 2020 ACR guideline strongly recommends those kinds of anti-inflammatories. Which one, if any, is chosen with you. See Medicines, by name.

The 2020 ACR guideline names allopurinol as the usual first urate-lowering medicine. Whether you need one, and which, is a decision with your clinician.

Not by itself. The Arthritis Foundation notes that some people with gout have normal uric acid levels, and many with high levels never develop gout. See How gout is diagnosed.

Yes. Infection and CPPD (pseudogout) can look similar. See Pseudogout and gout.

Urate building up over time and forming crystals. Family history, age, kidney function, alcohol, sugary drinks, and some medicines all play a part. See Causes and triggers.

It can be. NIAMS notes that high uric acid can lead to kidney stones. See Kidney stones and gout.

Help with rest, ice, elevation, and getting care, and never share a prescription. See For caregivers.

Which joint, when it started, what came before, and what helped. Use the free printable flare tracker.

Short definitions are in the glossary.