A buildup of too much uric acid in your body can lead to the type of arthritis known as gout.
Gout can cause inflammation, severe pain, joint damage, and more, impacting your day-to-day life.
The expert team at Forward Foot and Ankle Associates has helped many in New York, NY, manage gout, and can do the same for you.
COMMON GOUT SYMPTOMS
A gout attack can occur seemingly out of nowhere and last for weeks. While gout typically affects the big toe, it can occur in other toe joints, feet, ankles, and knees. Symptoms you may be suffering from include:
- Severe joint pain
- Redness, warmth, and swelling
- Kidney stones and kidney damage
- Chills, fever, and overall feeling of sickness
- Lumps under the skin caused by uric acid crystals
LIFESTYLE CAN CAUSE GOUT
Certain behaviors may be contributing to your gout without you even knowing. Thankfully, this means these actions can be changed with guidance from our board-certified doctors.
YOU CAN FIGHT GOUT
WITH OUR HELP
Gout cannot be cured. Thankfully though, our doctors understand how to treat and manage gout and high levels of uric acid that affect so many in New York, NY.
Immediate Treatment
Our doctors can conduct a thorough series of lab tests, X-rays, and assessments to diagnose gout at our New York and Staten Island, NY, offices. Crucially, we will look for high levels of uric acid in your joints. This may require us to analyze fluid from an affected joint to confirm high uric acid levels.
We can take several steps to treat the immediate symptoms of a gout flareup. For example, our doctors can provide prescriptions for medications to treat pain and combat inflammation during attacks. These can commonly include oral steroids and anti-inflammatories. Our team can also perform injections on affected joints to reduce inflammation.
Long-Term Management
Our doctors will analyze all medications you currently take to determine if any need to be modified or discontinued. For acute gout cases, we can prescribe medications that are known to lower uric acid amounts in the body.
Changing your diet, and if necessary, losing weight is key to lowering uric acid levels to prevent future flare-ups. Our podiatrists can conduct a thorough evaluation of your current lifestyle to make the best-targeted recommendations for gout management through dietary changes and other preventative measures.
Why New York
Trusts Our Podiatrists
/
Each of our five doctors is a board-certified podiatrist. Board certification indicates an elite level of knowledge and skill and requires the passage of a rigorous examination that includes over 100 multiple-choice questions and several clinical scenarios. Our team also speaks five languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and uish. This allows us to treat our city's diverse residents without relying on translators.
IT IS CRITICAL TO SEE A DOCTOR
DURING A GOUT ATTACK
We understand gout attacks can feel overwhelming, and you may be in intense pain. However, you must see our doctors during a flare-up. Gout can only be diagnosed when your joint is actively hot, swollen, and painful. It is during these times that uric acid crystals can be detected by lab tests.
Choosing to fight your gout by coming to our New York or Staten Island, NY, offices during an attack is the first step towards managing the condition. Patients who are suffering from chronic gout can also receive treatment between attacks. Call or write to us now to request your consultation.
(917) 746-1748
Send a Message to Our New York, NY, Team
YOU DON'T NEED TO SUFFER
Unlike many forms of arthritis, gout can be treated in a straightforward and effective manner.
TOUGHING IT OUT
IS THE WRONG MOVE
Some patients may feel that their gout symptoms are not severe enough to require medical intervention. This is a risky line of thinking. Repeated gout attacks caused by high uric acid levels can cause kidney stones and chronic arthritis, resulting in severe joint damage and even total loss of joint motion.
MAJOR GOUT STATISTICS
Prevalence
Over 9 million Americans struggle with the effects of gout.
Patients
90% of patients have comorbidities like kidney disease that make gout management more difficult.
Location
The vast majority of all gout attacks begin in the big toe.
SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE AT RISK
Gout is caused by a buildup of too much uric acid in the body. This is sometimes caused by lifestyle decisions. However, other factors that can lead to high uric acid levels and gout may be totally out of your control. You may have a higher gout risk based on:
Demographics
Gout affects men significantly more than it does women. That being said, postmenopausal women also experience an elevated gout risk.
Dietary Preference
Seafood and red meat are types of foods that are high in purine, which breaks down into gout-causing uric acid during digestion.
Drinking Habits
Some alcoholic drinks have high levels of purine, which can lead to uric acid buildup. Sugary beverages like sodas also stimulate uric acid creation.
Health Conditions
Several health conditions put patients at a higher risk for gout. Examples include obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease.
Medications
Some medications can make gout flare-ups more likely. These include certain pain medications, as well as diuretics, which treat high blood pressure but can increase uric acid levels in the body.
DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR GOUT PATIENTS
Each patient's treatment at Forward Foot & Ankle Associates is completely personalized. This means the only way to get a truly effective diet plan for fighting gout is in consultation with our doctors. That being said, there are some common diet tips they will likely give.
Practice Moderation
Red meat, seafood, fatty poultry, and organ meat should all be eaten in moderation. Failing to do so can increase your uric acid levels. Alcohol, sugary beverages, and even some sweet fruit juices should be treated the same way.
Lose Weight
Being overweight can increase the amount of uric acid present in the body. In fact, losing weight can potentially lower your uric acid levels without necessitating a diet specifically restricting uric acid–producing foods.
Try New Foods
Some studies suggest adding certain foods to your diet may aid gout management. Coffee, cherries, whole grains, and staying well-hydrated could actually help combat your gout.