Medically reviewed by Paula Tanasa, M.D.
What’s gout?
Gout is a sort of inflammatory arthritis that happens when uric acid builds up in your blood and types tiny, needle-shaped crystals that may deposit nearly wherever within the physique, together with within the joints, bones, coronary heart, backbone, kidney and eyes. These deposits can type seen lumps within the joints, that are referred to as tophi.
Can girls get gout?
It’s possible you’ll marvel, can girls get gout? The reply is easy: Sure.
Gout is nearly twice as frequent in males than in girls — 5.2% of males and a pair of.7% of ladies report having gout — however girls can nonetheless get it.
Estrogen helps flush uric acid out of the physique. So, girls are likely to get gout after they’ve gone by way of menopause, which causes them to lose estrogen. Ladies who haven’t gone by way of menopause can nonetheless get gout, however it’s much less frequent. These dwelling with persistent kidney illness are additionally at the next danger.
Why it’s best to take note of your danger for gout
Gout could sign different well being dangers, particularly for ladies.
In truth, one examine confirmed that girls with gout have been 39% extra prone to have a coronary heart assault than girls with out gout. One other examine discovered that girls with gout have been extra doubtless than males to have hypertension, diabetes, kidney illness and weight problems.
Gout is on the rise in girls
Within the final 20 years, circumstances of gout have greater than doubled amongst girls.
Immediately, 2 million girls within the U.S. have this inflammatory type of arthritis.
It’s not solely clear why gout charges are rising, however the growing older inhabitants and rising weight problems could also be elements.
Gout signs in girls
Typical signs of gout are gout flares, which might trigger extreme ache, swelling, redness and soreness within the joints. This consists of the hallmark signal: ache in your large toe. Gout signs in girls could be totally different than the everyday signs, although. Whereas gout typically comes on out of the blue and intensely, girls are extra doubtless than males to have joint ache that begins extra slowly and impacts a number of joints at a time. These joints embody the knees, toes, wrists and fingers.
Although a basic signal of gout is acute ache within the large toe, girls typically get ache of their palms as an alternative. Because of this, healthcare suppliers can generally mistake gout for inflammatory osteoarthritis, which causes swelling and ache within the fingers.
Ladies are sometimes dismissed or ignored by healthcare suppliers general. This will come into play in a situation like gout, which is commonly misdiagnosed, particularly in girls who don’t at all times have the telltale signs. So, it’s necessary to advocate for your self for those who suspect you might have gout. A technique to do this is to ask for a blood check to measure your uric acid ranges. In case your stage is above 6 mg/dl and also you’re experiencing flares, you will have gout.
Gout prognosis and coverings
For most individuals, gout flares could be managed with anti-inflammatory medicines like colchicine or steroids, or with oral medicines that cut back uric acid, the foundation reason behind the illness. When you have gout that persists after taking oral medicines, speak to your healthcare supplier about your choices.
This useful resource was created with assist from Horizon Therapeutics.
Associated Articles Across the Net
