Gout Health Center

Generic symptoms of gout include intermittent swelling, redness, heat, pain and stiffness of the joints.

Acute attacks of gout occur once the uric acid crystallizes and leaks into the joints. These attacks are sudden and can cause significant amounts of pain in the joints, most commonly the big toe, ankles, heels, wrists, fingers, insteps and elbows. There often is a feeling of heat or warmth as well as swelling, irritability, redness and rigidity or stiffness. Additionally, there can be chalky lumps beneath the surface of the skin, which can be a sign of hyperuricemia. However, each of the four stages of gout presents different symptoms, which can signal how far the condition has progressed.

During gout’s initial stage, asymptomatic hyperuricemia, there are no symptoms except heightened levels of uric acid in the bloodstream, which does not require treatment.

Acute gout, or acute gouty arthritis, is the second stage of the condition caused by the deposit of uric acid crystals into the joint spaces. This stage brings the sudden onset of intense pain and swelling in the joints, which may also feel warm and tender. Usually, attacks occur at night and are triggered by stressful events or triggers like alcohol or drug use.

The third stage, interval or intercritical gout, is another stage with no symptoms.

The final stage, chronic tophaceous gout, is the most debilitating of all four stages. With proper and prompt treatment, the majority of patients do not progress to this last advanced stage. This stage brings permanent damage to the body’s joints and kidneys, creating lasting inflammation and irritability.