Featuring Dr. Kam Shojania, MD, FRCPC

Duration: 1 minute, 10 seconds

Gout is a form of arthritis, and it occurs when the body breaks down certain foods or proteins that contain uric acid, and we take this uric acid and we can't get rid of it so it accumulates in the body and it hardens down into these needle-like crystals that often sit in the most cold part of the body such as the toe.

So gout is a type of arthritis that usually occurs in the big toe at the ball of the joint. It can go from there to involve other joints such as the ankle or the finger and in some cases it can progress to involve multiple joints.

Typically, the attacks starts as a very painful, hot, red, swollen joint that can't be stepped on and that keeps people up at night, and a typical attack will last a week to 10 days and then disappear.

If you think you have gout or if you have questions about gout, please contact your healthcare provider.

Presenter: Dr. Kam Shojania, Rheumatologist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Rheumatologist