Kevin Waiters, age 13, of Cleveland, Ohio, for his question:
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE GET GOUT?
Gout is a form of arthritis, or inflammation of the joints. The tendency toward gout is hereditary. Persons who get the disease have high levels of uric acid, a natural by product of body processes, in their blood.
The gout patients system either manufactures too much uric acid or is unable to get rid of it fast enough. As a result, crystals of salt of uric acid, or monosodium urate, form around the joints.
For reasons not fully understood, the crystals create a focus of irritation, with resulting inflammation and pain. It may affect many joints, but the large toe is most often involved, with excruciating pain, redness, swelling and a feeling of heat.
It has been estimated that there are more than 1 million persons in the United States and Canada with gout. Most victims are men of at least middle age. Only about one patient in 20 is female, and she usually is in her middle years.
The sex difference in tendencies toward gout may be due to the fact that more uric acid is normally present in men than in women
Gout occurs more frequently in overweight people than in thin ones. It is doubtful, however, that simply indulging in large quantities of rich goods and alcohol can make gout develop, although these excesses may trigger an attack in a person already prone to the disease.
It is a very good idea for persons with gout to eat well balanced diets and to avoid beef, sardines and the internal organs of animals such as kidneys, liver and sweet breads. These foods are rich in purine, which is involved in the production of uric acid in the human body. Nonetheless, low purine diet is no cure for gout and may not even be necessary if a patient is taking medicine for the condition.
Many doctors prescribe a drug called colchicine as remedy for the symptoms of gout. Other medications for gout include a drug called probenecid. It prevents the accumulation of uric acid in the blood. Doctors also use indomethacin, phenylbutgazone and corticosteroids.
In general, a gout patient should get plenty of rest and stay in bed for at least one day after symptoms have cleared up, to prevent a relapse. Also, he should drink at least two quarts of water daily, avoid high purine foods and alcohol and exercise in moderation.
If a person is susceptible to gout, an attack sometimes can be provoked by emotional tension, infection or an injury
Doctors say aggressive people are inclined to have higher blood uric acid levels than more gentle people. Results of research, however, have not as yet proven this point.
Gout attacks may last from several days to several weeks. Yet there may be periods of two years between attacks. With today's modern therapy, the disease causes little crippling of joints as it did in old days.