Gout Information

When hyperuricemia is present

Hyperuricemia is the state of having raised levels of uric acid in the blood. Over a long period, the uric acid may become so concentrated that it can no longer stay dissolved, and tiny needlelike urate crystals accumulate in the synovial fluid of the joints (the thick lubricating liquid that is secreted into the joint). These urate crystals may, in turn, be present for several years without causing problems. Any of the following events may trigger an attack, however:

an injury to the joint
surgery
illness
an infection
drinking too much alcohol
increasing consumption of purine foods
starvation
dehydration
increased stress
use of drugs such as thiazides or, ironically, allopurinol, a long-term gout medication, when first used to lower uric acid levels

Where gout is concerned, there are a few exceptions to the rule. For instance, some people have high levels of circulating uric acid, but this is not accompanied by crystal formation and they do not experience gout. Also, rarely, some people with normal levels of uric acid do suffer from gout. In the main, though, the higher the level of uric acid, the greater the chance that crystals will form and be triggered into gout.