What Happens During a Gout Flare?

Gout remains one of the most common causes of chronic inflammatory arthritis. It’s also one of the few forms of arthritis that can be effectively controlled, yet it remains a leading cause of preventable joint damage. 

Here at Comprehensive Arthritis Care in Hendersonville, Tennessee, our team, including board-certified rheumatologist Mohammad F. Ali, MD, focuses on diagnosing gout early, and providing an effective strategy to best manage it. 

Doing so lowers the risk of arthritis-related disability. The goal is to protect your joints, and help you maintain your quality of life.

What goes on during a gout flare?

Persistently elevated uric acid drives gout flares. Uric acid is a natural waste product your body makes when it breaks down a substance found in certain foods like meat and seafood, called purines. 

Think of it like the leftover ash from burning fuel. Your kidneys filter it out into urine, but when the kidneys fail to filter it out, it builds up and crystalizes. These microscopic, needle-shaped crystals settle in joints and surrounding tissue. 

When the immune system reacts, it triggers intense pain and inflammation, most commonly affecting the big toe. That reaction is responsible for a gout flare, with common symptoms including:

• Swelling
• Warmth
• Redness
• Pain
• Inflammation

These symptoms often begin overnight, and many patients report being awakened with their symptoms in the middle of the night. While the pain may fade, the crystals usually remain unless uric acid levels are brought under control.

Why “waiting it out” is risky

Early gout flares are often infrequent. In fact, months can pass between attacks, which can give the impression that the condition is harmless. In reality, ongoing uric acid build-up continues between attacks.

Without treatment, flares become more frequent, last longer, and affect additional joints. Over time, chronic inflammation damages and breaks down cartilage and bone. Some patients develop tophi, firm deposits of uric acid that form visible lumps around joints, especially the fingers, elbows, and toes. At this stage, joint damage is often permanent.

Additionally, untreated gout may be linked to kidney stones and declining kidney function, according to an epidemiologic study of close to 50,000 participants published in the journal Frontiers in Genetics. This underscores the crucial need for medical management to protect long-term health.

When gout needs medical attention

If you’re diagnosed with gout, it’s crucial to have a rheumatology team in your corner for expert gout management. This is especially true if:

• You’ve had more than one flare
• Attacks are becoming more frequent or severe
• Pain spreads beyond the big toe
• Joints remain stiff or swollen between flares
• You have kidney disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes

These are signs that gout is progressing, even if symptoms come and go.

Why a rheumatologist makes a difference

The aim of gout management is to lower uric acid to safe levels long-term. Dr. Ali specializes in inflammatory arthritis and understands the nuances of how gout overlaps with other rheumatic diseases. 

Dr. Ali monitors uric acid trends, adjusts medications carefully, and watches for early joint damage before it becomes disabling.

At Comprehensive Arthritis Care, patients benefit from in-office lab services, imaging, and infusion therapy when needed. 

Early treatment protects your joints and your future

With early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, patients can reduce gout flares, prevent joint damage, and stay active. This aligns with the mission of Comprehensive Arthritis Care: encouraging patients to seek help before arthritis becomes disabling.

If gout symptoms are affecting your life or becoming more frequent, it isn’t something to ignore. Comprehensive Arthritis Care is welcoming and caring for new patients and existing patients in Hendersonville and throughout Sumner County. Call our office to schedule your visit, or request an appointment online today.