Uric arthritis or gout Part III

Inflammation of the joints

Usual place of deposition of uric acid crystals have been the cartilage of joints. Deposits of crystals can be placed on the joints, without causing any disturbance. Only when the crystal layer increases and damages synovial cell membrane, which is located between the cartilages of joint bones, it leads to inflammation. The first sign of infection is usually a sudden, severe pain in one joint, and usually it happens at night or morning, immediately after getting up. The joint very quickly swells, it is very painful, red and warm, and a patient often has fever.

At first gout attack, which usually occurs after the fortieth year of life, pain is always in one wrist. Almost always it is the join of root of foot thumb joint, and rarely the place of the first attack is foot joint, ankle or heel. After, the inflammation can catch every joint: the knee joint or elbow, or joints of the fingers on your hands. It is important to know that there is no other inflammation of the joints that at the beginning of the disease has sudden and strong start as gout.
First attack of uric arthritis or gout usually goes away, even if not treated, for ten days, although swelling and tenderness can still take a while. When the inflammation settles, the patient again is feeling completely healthy, diseased joint is painless and fully motile until a new attack. Often, the next attack occurs only after several months or even after several years, but that attacks occur more frequently. Very rare are the cases that never have an attack, but with the duration of the disease they are becoming more frequent.
The next attack may hurt the same wrist, or other, but at the same time more joints. Inflammation often affects other joint, and each new attack is all the more difficult and painful, and lasts longer. In addition, each subsequent inflammation more damages joints. Little by little it leads to severe gout: swollen, distorted joints. Due to the created deposits of uric acid crystals, the joints are permanently thickened and thickenings are visible as solid subcutaneous, smaller or larger bumps. These knots often occur at joints of the fingers, heels, knees and elbows.
After 10 years and more of frequent attacks of arthritis it develops chronic uric arthritis, which is characterized by the absence of periods without pain.