Signs of gout in women and methods of treatment

Gout is a chronic disease characterized by excessive formation of uric acid salts and the deposition of their crystals in the joints and surrounding tissues. In women, gout develops after 55-60 years, this is due to the onset of menopause, cases of gout in reproductive age are quite rare.

Women with gout often have a rough voice, excessive hair growth, developed musculature and masculine rough facial features. In the chronic course of the disease in women monosodium urates (crystals of uric acid salts) are more often localized in the small joints of the feet and brushes.

Causes of the disease in women

The accumulation of uric acid salts can develop in two cases:

1. In humans, the level of uric acid is elevated, and its kidneys can not cope with its induction in full.
2. With a normal content of uric acid, there is no complete excretion due to kidney disease.

The main factors provoking the development of gout in women are:

1. Age - at a young childbearing age, a significant amount of Estrogen (female sex hormones) involved in the process of excretion of uric acid salts from organism. During the menopause, the level of synthesis of these hormones is significantly reduced, which provokes an increase in the level of monosodium urates in the blood.
2. Genetic tendency to develop the disease - gout more often affects people whose blood relatives suffered from this disease.
3. Diseases associated with metabolic disorders, in particular obesity, are often gout companions.
4. Errors in nutrition - the abuse of protein products, conservation, smoked foods and sausages, strong black coffee and tea, wine.
5. Long-term use of some drugs - antihypertensive drugs, diuretic drugs from the group of hypothiazides, acetylsalicylic acid, some antibiotics necessary for the treatment of tuberculosis.
6. Diseases that affect the functioning of the kidneys are hypertensive disease, inflammatory and dystrophic diseases of the urinary system, leukemia, psoriatic lesions of the internal organs, lymphoma.
7. Kidney transplantation leads to an increased risk of developing kidney failure and, as a result, the occurrence of gout. Drugs that are prescribed to prevent rejection when transplanting other organs can trigger an increase in the level of uric acid salts.

How is gout manifested in women

In the clinical course of gout, four stages can be distinguished, differing from each other not only by the symptomatology, but also by the prevalence of the process.

Stage of asymptomatic or preclinical hyperuricemia

This is the initial stage of the disease, characterized by a gradual increase in salts of uric acid in the blood.And only in 20 cases out of 100 the initial stage develops into a full gout. The initial stage can last up to 30 years and not show any special symptoms.

Stage of acute gouty arthritis

These are the first manifestations of the disease, they may be limited to minor pain in the affected joint or include the following symptoms:

• marked pain in the joint and surrounding tissues, often occurring at night or in the morning;
• Puffiness, often extending beyond the joint;
• hyperemia and hyperthermia of the skin;
• sometimes there is an increase in body temperature and chills.

Stage of monoarticular gout

At this stage, only one joint is affected, about 60 cases out of a hundred suffer from the joint of the big toe, and lesions of the ankle or knee joint are less common.

Stage of polyarticular gout

The defeat of several joints initially develops in 10-15% of cases of gout.Women mostly suffer from small joints of the foot or hands on one side. In this case, the polyarticular form of the disease is characterized by a slow onset of pain, more prolonged course of interclinical spaces and is accompanied by subfebrile temperature and poor state of health.

Chronic gout

The main manifestation of chronic gout is the formation of tofus (deposits of crystals in the cartilaginous tissue and internal organs).

The frequent place of tofus localization in women is the joints of the hands. In addition to the formation of crystalline deposits, chronic gout is characterized by constant pain in the area of ​​the affected joint.

Methods for treating gout in women

Medication Therapy

Medical treatment of gout is aimed at stopping the pain syndrome, reducing the activity of the inflammatory process and increasing the excretion of uric acid in the urine.

Acute stage of the disease

In order to achieve these goals in the acute stage, the following drugs can be prescribed to the patient:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs (ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen) - such medicines do not treat gout, but only eliminate its manifestations, so do not try to cure the disease yourself by using the above preparations;
• colchicine - a drug that effectively combats pain and inflammation with an acute attack of gout, is used until the symptom severity is reduced according to the individual scheme;
• hormonal drugs (betamethasone, methylprednisolone) - are prescribed in the case where NSAIDs and colchicine did not bring positive results, are used as intra-articular injections.

Chronic course of the disease

In the chronic course of the disease, gout is treated with the following medications:

• uricolitic drugs (allopurinol, febuksostat) - drugs whose effect is aimed at reducing the repeated absorption of uric acid in the kidneys, and consequently, at increasing its level in the urine;
• peglotisis - an enzyme that converts a molecule of uric acid into another substance that is calmly excreted in the urine, is released in the form of injections and is applied every two or four weeks.

Treatment of gout with iodine

Treatment of gout with iodine is best used as an adjunct to medical therapy appointed by a doctor.

Methods of application of iodine in gout:

1. Five tablets of acetylsalicylic acid grind into powder, add 10 ml of iodine and mix until the dissolution of aspirin and discoloration of the solution. Lubricate the prepared joints with the affected joints for the night.
2. For foot baths in three liters of warm water add 9 drops of alcohol solution of iodine and 3 teaspoons of baking soda, treatment course - two weeks.
3. In order to prepare the ointment, it is necessary to stir a half-kilogram of iodized salt in a liter of water, boil until all the liquid has evaporated, add 200 ml of Vaseline to the remaining pellet and well to knead. Ointment is applied at night in the form of a compress.

Sanatorium treatment for gout

For treatment of gout in the sanatorium-resort complexes two directions should be provided: balneotherapy procedures and drinking treatment with mineral waters. In our region, the best sites for the treatment of this disease are the South Coast (Yalta), Bashkiria (Yangan-Tau) and Astrakhan Region (Tinaki).

Dietary food for gout

People who suffer from gout, it is desirable to reduce the amount in the diet:

• meat, especially red (beef, lamb, pork, game);
• by-products (liver, kidneys, lungs);
• broths (they contain a large number of purines);
• seafood (including shrimp and caviar);
• yeast (bakery products and beer).

Get rid of gout forever impossible, you can try to avoid the development of her attacks. To do this, you must adhere to diet, avoid stressful situations and increased physical activity, lead an active lifestyle.