A disturbance in chemical balance of the body, in which chronic excess uric acid in the blood leads to the deposition of the needle shaped urate crystals in and around the joints and tendons, where they cause inflammation.
Gout not only causes inflammatory arthritis but also causes teno synovitis, bursitis, or cellulites, tophaceous deposits, urolithiasis and renal disease.
The onset is sudden, unexpected , and excruciating and painful.
It strikes an intense pain in the joint ,most often the big toe, but some times other joints, including knees, elbows, thumbs, or fingers.
Generally pain disappears after medication but usually they recur again.
Gout commonly occurs in middle aged men.
It is usually uncommon in women and very rare in children.
Men who are obese and who have high blood pressure are more prone to the disease.
CAUSES:
Hereditary
Improper function of the kidney
Reaction to the alcohol
Reaction to certain drugs
Enzyme deficiencies
Lead poisoning
Disorder is associated with an injury or any surgical procedure
Highly proteinous diet
Idiopathic causes
Starvation
Psoriasis
Toxaemia of pregnancy
May also occur in some forms of tumors and cancers
SYMPTOMS:
1. Joint of the big toe is the common and primary site of affection in majority of the patients
2. Other sites of affection are ankle, knee, hand, heel
3. Sudden and intense pain of the affected joint
4. The gouty joint becomes hot, red, swollen and severely painful
5. Acute attack may be accompanied by fever, anorexia, malaise, headache, nausea, or change of the mood
6. There is tendency to have recurrent attacks, but symptoms typically do not last a week
7. There may be secondary degenerative changes in the form of tophi
HOMEOPATHIC APPROACH:
LEDUM PALUSTRE:
It is a good remedy in acute and chronic cases of gout
Tearing, shooting, stinging, type of pain
Joint swollen, hot and pale
There is no accompanying fever
Soles painful can hardly step on them
Ball of great toe swollen
Gout begins in lower limb and ascends
BRYONIA ALBUM:
Joint red, hot, swollen with stitches and tearing
Every spot is painful on pressure
Weariness and heaviness of the limbs
Swollen sensation in the joints with intense pain
Constant motion of left arm and leg
BENZOIC ACID:
Useful in persons with uric acid diathesis
Swelling of wrist with gouty deposits
Gouty deposits and nodes are painful
Tearing pain in the great toe
Tearing pain in tendons and joints with stitches
Oedema of lower extremities
LITHIUM CARB:
Uric acid diathesis causing gout
Whole body is sore
Joint swollen tender and red and painful to touch
Pain in hollow of foot extending to the knee
Ankle painful when walking
Paralytic stiffness all over the body
Nodular swelling of the joints
COLCHICUM:
Inflammation of big toe and heel
Acute pain making patient scream when touched
Tearing, jerking pains especially in finger joints
Metastasis from big toe to the heart
Joint stiff feverish and tender and swollen
Sensation of pins and needles in hands and wrist finger tips numb
Edematous swelling pits on pressure
