Are you feeling stiffness in the joints of your hands? You think that it is a symptom of arthritis. However, some men and women complain that the base of their thumbs is feeling burning pain. This condition indicates gout in the hands.
A gout attack in the thumb causes pain, which is unbearable. You cannot avoid using your thumb for different purposes. To hold the doorknob, pick up your mobile, grab a mug, and do several other activities, you need to use your thumb. The gout-inflamed thumb feels discomfort, especially at the joint, due to the inflammation caused by uric acid crystals.
In most cases, gout pain is more intense than the pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis and other types of arthritis.
Gout flares can result from active inflammation like swelling, heat, and redness. Patients have mostly found gouts in the knuckle of their fingers.
Can you get gout in your hands?
You may find gout mostly attack your knees, big toe, and feet. However, there is also a risk of gout symptoms in your hands. You may feel painful soreness in your hands.
Gout is a complicated type of arthritis with crystals forming in a joint. Swelling and redness are major symptoms of inflammation, causing severe pain.
According to physicians and therapists, gouts affect both joints and soft tissues (including tendons). In most cases, the middle joint of your hands has a gout attack. You will find your joint becoming swollen and painful due to the production of uric acid.
In normal conditions, when you consume drinks and foods, your blood carries uric acid, which comes out of your urine. However, the accumulation and crystallization of this acid in joints will cause gouts. You must avoid eating red meats and seafood. Alcohol consumption also results in gout in your hands.
Symptoms
Gout symptoms in the hands can become prominent within a very short time. Initially, they last about 3 to 10 days. However, after a few months, you can find the reappearance of these symptoms. Adjacent joints of your finger may also be affected. Moreover, uric-acid crystals may cause a problem like kidney stones.
Your physician will ask you to do lab tests, X-rays, and other physical diagnoses to know more about the condition. You need to provide your physician with comprehensive medical details and a list of medications. Some ailments may be responsible for the gout condition. That is why your healthcare provider will ask you to do a blood test to check the uric acid level and other potential infections. Some patients having a gout attack suffer from high blood uric acid.
Thus, diagnose gout in your hands and prevent the condition from getting worsened.
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Treatment
Untreated gout may result in a condition that causes a lump of the crystals. It looks like a mass under your skin. It also destroys the surface of the joint cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and joint capsule.
You have to consult rheumatologists to treat gout, as they are specialized in managing this condition. They also prescribe medicines to lower the uric acid level in your blood.
However, gout conditions in hands are very rare. There is no need to undergo surgery. While the gout symptoms are infrequent, you can treat them with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Colchicine is also effective in managing the condition. Steroids available as pills may also be needed to reduce redness, swelling, and pain.
You have to do regular workouts and lose weight to avoid gout. Moreover, you must maintain some dietary restrictions to prevent the rise of uric acid levels. When your gout symptoms have become complicated, you may need surgery. Furthermore, damage to your tendons and joints for crystal deposits also causes the need for surgery.
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Causes
1. Age and gender
According to healthcare providers, age is one of the common factors causing gout in hands. Men have a higher chance of suffering from gouts compared to women. Especially, women who have menopause are at a higher risk of gout. However, young and middle-aged persons may also have gouts.
2. Diet
A diet containing sugar-sweetened beverages and seafood can contribute to the development of gout in your hands.
3. Hand injuries
Hand joints may have gouts due to the surgery and serious injury.
4. Underlying health issues
Insulin resistance, heart disorder, obesity, and kidney problems are some conditions that can trigger gout.
5. Genetic factors
Researchers have identified a connection between high uric acid and genetic predisposition. For instance, they found that patients with gouts have unique genomes affecting kidney functionality. Several genes can influence the way of removing uric acid.
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6. Medications
Cyclosporine and diuretics for higher blood pressure can cause an increase in uric acid levels. Thus, patients taking these medicines have a higher risk of gouts in the hands and other parts of the body.
Why do your thumbs have gout?
Uric acid comes out of your body through the kidneys. However, in some cases, the acid level may be high, and it will begin to accumulate slowly in different joints. Thus, your thumb may also have gout causing red and swollen conditions.
Initially, you will notice gout flares in your big toe, and then it will spread over other joints of your body.
Is your thumb pain the result of gout?
Gout attacks are painful, and you cannot easily overlook them. There are some differences in gout flares. To ensure that the pain is from the thumb gout, you have to find an answer to some questions.
- Do you have sudden aching in your thumb?
- Does the pain last for a few days and then have subsided slowly?
- Have you noticed swelling and redness around your thumb joint?
To diagnose your gout in the hands, you can consult physicians. You may also choose a specialist and take the prescribed medications. It will be easy to reduce pain and other symptoms.
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HAVE GOUT IN MY HAND AND FINGERS CANT EVEN PICK UP A CUP HURT TO BAD CANT SLEEP