What causes gout toe pain?
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Gout is known to affect many joints including the knee, wrists, fingers, elbows, thumbs, ankles and even instep! However, in the majority of cases (around 75%) it affects the big toe. Often the first signs of gout disease are big toe pain or big toe inflammation and tenderness.
Interestingly, why does it target the big toe? The answer is unknown, but one prominent theory suggests the big toe is one of the fatherliest joints from the heart and therefore the blood is cooler around this joint which may contribute to uric acid crystal formation. This is further supported by anecdotal stories that a warm bath may alleviate big toe pain.
If you have recurrent pain and swelling behind your big toe or in your ear, you may have gout.
Gout occurs when uric acid crystals precipitate out from your joint fluid to cause pain, swelling and heat. The only way to prove that a hot painful joint is caused by gout is for the doctor to remove joint fluid and to see crystals in it under the microscope. Attacks of gout can be precipitated by being overweight, having a tumor, exercising for a long period of time, taking in large amounts of fructose in special fruit drinks, drinking alcohol, particularly beer, eating large amounts of purine-containing foods or taking aspirin, diuretics or large doses of the vitamin, niacin.
Doctors usually do not recommend low purine diets to lower uric acid because drugs are so much more effective. High-purine foods include meats, particularly organ meats and seafood, meat extracts and gravies, yeast, beer and other alcoholic drinks, beans, peas, lentils, oatmeal, spinach, asparagus, cauliflower and mushrooms. A low-purine diet includes refined cereals and white flower, milk and diary products, butter, margarine and other fats, fruits, nuts and peanut butter, lettuce, tomatoes and green vegetables, cream soups made without meat and low-purine vegetables, water, fruit juices and carbonated drinks
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine.
