Gout is a treatable condition, and there are ways to reduce the risk that gout will recur. These attacks can happen over and over unless gout is treated. Many people with high levels in their blood never get gout.

Your chances of getting gout are higher if you are overweight, drink too much alcohol, or eat too much meat and fish that are high in chemicals called purines. Some medicines, such as water pills (diuretics), can also bring on gout.

There may be no classic symptoms of a gout attack. There are many other conditions with symptoms similar to gout. Diets which are high in purines and high in protein have long been suspected of causing an increased risk of gout (a type of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the body which form crystals in the joints, resulting in pain and inflammation).

A research team followed 47,150 men with no prior history of gout over a 12-year period. The conclusion: during the 12 year period of assessment, 730 men were diagnosed with gout. Study participants who consumed the highest amount of meat were 40 percent more likely to have gout than those who ate the least amount of meat. Study participants who ate the most seafood were 50 percent more likely to have gout. In this specific study, though, not all purine-rich foods were associated with an increased risk of gout. The team also found that low-fat dairy products decrease the risk of gout and overall protein intake had no effect. Ultimately, diets shown to be connected to gout are the same kinds of diet linked to cardiovascular disease.

Paying attention to what you eat may help you manage your gout. The first symptom of gouty arthritis is typically the sudden onset of a hot, red, swollen joint.

With time, attacks of gouty arthritis can occur more frequently and may last longer. Kidney stones are more frequent in patients with gout.

A gout "flare" (attack) usually strikes suddenly, at night, in one location (usually the large joint in the big toe). The primary risk factor for gout is hyperuricemia"high levels of uric acid in the blood.

Though gout treatment is most often treated successfully and without complications, it becomes more of a challenge if other conditions exist along with gout or if there is poor patient compliance to recommended lifestyle changes or a medication regimen.

Patients with acute gout typically receive daily doses of prednisone (20-40mg) or its equivalent for 3 to 4 days, then it is tapered gradually over one to two weeks. It is used to prevent gout attacks, not to treat them once they occur.