How is Gout Diagnosed?

I'm going to start with my own story of how I came to be diagnosed with gout.  After which I will again share some material from the National Institute of Arthritis Muscluoskeletal and Skin Diseases website.

In September 2006, I moved to Fuzhou, China.  When I went I was overweight (near 300 lbs).  In my first few weeks in China, I walked everywhere and climbed the local mountain.  The day after walking up the mountain steps, I had some of the worst pain I had ever experienced in my left foot.  I was unaware at the time that I was experiencing my first gout attack. 

For 6 years I would experience similar pain.  The whole time through doctors visits in China, I thought I had a problem with my foot shape thinking my arches were too high or that I was walking incorrectly. Over time the pain appeared in different places on my left foot and sometimes even in my right foot and knee. The pain was sometimes a heated spot that was right near the surface of my skin.

Finally in May, 2013, I was introduced to a doctor that gave me the true diagnosis.  I will tell you my story, but first let's look at how gout can be diagnosed by a doctor from the aforementioned NIAMS website.: 

How Is Gout Diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and family history of gout. Signs and symptoms of gout include:

• Hyperuricemia (high level of uric acid in the blood)

• Uric acid crystals in joint fluid

• More than one attack of acute arthritis

• Arthritis that develops in 1 day, producing a swollen, red, and warm joint

• Attack of arthritis in only one joint, usually the toe, ankle, or knee. [1]

To confirm a diagnosis of gout, your doctor may draw a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for crystals associated with gout.

My doctor asked me about diet, family history with arthritis and similar conditions, then had me to a blood test.  My blood test returned a high uric acid reading and he concluded that I had gout. The six year mystery had been solved, and I was ready to move on to preventative measures.

In future posts, we will discuss how gout attacks are treated, and then how to stay healthy and try to prevent it.  

Do you have gout?  What is your diagnosis story?  Leave me a comment!

**This website is for informative purposes and should not be substituted as advice of a medical professional.  If you believe you have gout, I STRONGLY recommend scheduling an appointment with a medical professional and getting the problem checked out.

[Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/gout_ff.asp]