There is nothing new about gout, it has been around for hundreds and probably thousands of year and has seen millions of people suffer with it. Gout is prevalent in some familys, if your father or other male member of your family has gout then there is a chance that you to will develop it.

No one thinks much about purines in their food, the items that are high in purines are often amongst the most flavourful foods. Shellfish, red meats and game meats are all high in purines. Only when you have an agonizing attack of gout or even worse kidney stones do you start to even consider the purines in your food.

In milder cases, the person may only develop a condition called hyperucemia, a condition characterized by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. Such a condition may not develop into arthritis or other kidney problems.

The use of the term "gout" has been commonly applied to the episode of painful arthritis like attacks. A more specific term to these attacks is "gouty arthritis". It is characterized by sudden severe painful episode appearing as inflammation of the affected joint.

If you do have gout you are not alone, in the us there are at least a million others who have gout. Most of the people who suffer with gout are men.

Finding out if you have gout is not an exact science in any way. We have mentioned enhanced levels of uric acid already, yet there are people who have gout but don't display increased uric acid levels. If you have the pain that we have described then it is time to go and see a Dr, be totally honest and open with your Dr, tell him exactly what pain you are having and when you have experienced it.