Gout may also involve the elbow, knee, hand, foot, ankle and/or shoulder.  It affects adults of both sexes but is 20 times more frequent in men than women.

Frequent Signs and Symptoms include:  Sudden onset of severe pain in the inflamed joint, usually at the base of the big toe or larger joints.  Involved joints are red, hot, swollen and very tender.  Skin over joint is red and shiny. Fever, sometimes.

Causes include:  A high level of uric acid in the blood due to increased production of uric acid or decreased elimination of uric acid by the kidneys.

Risk increases with:

1. Use of diuretic drugs (water pills) such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide
2. Use of some antibiotics
3. Some blood diseases such as polycythemia and leukemia
4. Men over 60
5. Family history of gout
6. Obesity
7. Many disorders including thyroid problems, kidney disease, anemia, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, diabetes and vascular disease.
8. Trauma, surgery, and radiation treatment
9. Eating large amounts of anchovies, sardines, sweetbreads, kidney or liver
10. Chemotherapy may raise uric acid levels

Preventive Measures:

Avoid and/or lessen risk factors when and where possible.

Outcomes:

1. The first attack of Gout may last a few days.
2. Recurrent attacks are common without treatment to reduce the uric acid level in the blood.
3. Symptoms can be eliminated with treatment.

Possible Complications.  If untreated, Gout may cause:

1. Inflammation of bones, ligaments and tendons.
2. Crippled deformed joints.
3. Kidney stones.

Diarrhea and Vomiting

Begin with clear liquids for 24-48 hours: Pedialyte, Ginger Ale, 7-Up, Gatorade, frozen Kool-Aid popsicles, Jell-O.

Fever and Tylenol Dosing in Children

Fever is a normal body response to infection and a symptom of an illness, not an illness itself.

GI Disorders

Learn about gastric irritants and disorders such as Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Gout

Head Injuries

Head injury, regardless of type including head surgery, is followed by a group of symptoms that may be regarded as common to all forms of cranial trauma.

Hypertension

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the number one cause of death in the United States.

Menopause

In a 1972 episode of All In The Family, the theme was menopause:

Archie: Edith, if you’re gonna have a change in life, you gotta do it right now. I’m gonna give you just 3o seconds!

Edith: Can I finish my soup first?

Unfortunately, this is what many people, both men and women, still think they know about menopause. Menopause is perhaps the least understood stage of life by the public, and arguably the most feared.

Stomach Virus and Flu

Here is an example of a progressive diet that may be followed when you have a “stomach virus” or the flu.