This Victorian-era disease is coming back strong. How to spot the signs

More Brits are being admitted to hospital with a disease nicknamed the ‘disease of kings’. Figures released by the NHS showed that 234,000 patients were on hospital admission with gout from 2021 until now. This represents a 20% increase over a three-year period, a situation that has partly been blamed on lack of exercise and poor diet during pandemic lockdowns, DailyMail reports.

Disease of kings

Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis which causes sudden attacks of severe pain and swelling in the joints, according to arthritis.org. The condition affects more men (over 30 years) than women who typically might get it after menopause. This disease has no cure and be can be extremely painful. However, there are treatments available to manage the pain and to prevent further attacks. According to the CDC,

It usually affects one joint at a time (often the big toe joint). There are times when symptoms get worse and times when there are no symptoms. Repeated bouts of gout can lead to gouty arthritis, a worsening form of arthritis.

Symptoms

All joints in the body can be impacted by this disease, although it commonly affects the toes, ankles, knees and fingers. According to the NHS, some signs and symptoms of gout to be aware of include:

• severe pain in one or more joints
• the joint feeling hot and very tender
• swelling in and around the affected joint
• red, shiny skin over the affected joint

When these symptoms are at their worst, they could last days or weeks followed by long periods of no sign at all. Risk factors include gender (being male), obesity, family history of gout, pre-existing health conditions like blood pressure and diabetes as well as high alcohol consumption.

Sources used:

Arthritis Foundation

DailyMail

NHS Inform

CDC

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