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A Brief History of Gout<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Roman surgeon Galen was the first to identify tophi as crystallized chunks of uric acid (monosodium urate) that form around the joints, causing pain and swelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tophi can occur in multiple body areas and lead to advanced gout if left untreated.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Podagra, a manifestation of gout, was first used by a Dominican monk named Randolphus of Bocking in 1200 AD. In Greek, pod<\/em> means “foot” while agra<\/em> translates to “seizure” or “to take.” <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe term also has Latin roots, with the word\u00a0gutta<\/em>\u00a0translating to “drop.”<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt was so named because of the medieval belief that when one of a person’s four “humors<\/a>” were imbalanced ( a concept rooted in Shakesperian cosmology), the imbalance would cause one of them to “drop” into a joint. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe subsequent painful inflammation and swelling were believed to be its symptoms. Famous English physician Thoman Sydenham elaborated on the condition’s nature and symptoms when he was diagnosed with gout and renal disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a time in the 1900s when it was acceptable to suffer from gout since it labeled the socially and politically affluent as powerful figures in society.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Is Gout?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen a person’s uric acid levels are abnormally high, it leads to hyperuricemia, which causes gout. Gout occurs when uric acid deposits appear in and around the joints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These deposits can collect in the wrists, fingers, big toe, or knees, causing these areas to swell up and become painful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gout is an inflammatory form of arthritis. It’s mainly caused by individuals consuming food that is high in purines. When such food is eaten in excess, the body produces more uric acid as it digests purines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Incidents of gout in Asia aren’t as high or severe since people’s diets mostly consist of rice and vegetables. However, it’s more common in North America and Western Europe<\/a>, where people’s diets contain more meat and seafood, two food items that can contribute to hyperuricemia and gout. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSince more people worldwide can afford moderately comfortable to affluent lifestyles, their diets majorly consist of meat, seafood, and alcohol (beer is known to have the highest\u00a0purine content<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\nTwo thousand years ago, physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia described the symptoms of gout quite aptly as “hot needles being slowly pushed into your flesh. Every step’s an agony, and the weight of a simple bed sheet is unbearable.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIs Gout Curable?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGout can be significantly reversed if an individual drastically alters their lifestyle. Decreased levels of purines, increased hydration, and moderate physical activity can help gout patients in the long term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several anti-inflammatory and pain medications on the market can also help alleviate the crippling effects of gout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Ancient Greece, Byzantine physician Alexander of Tralles used colchicine (a plant extract<\/a> derived from the autumn crocus) to treat gout. It wasn’t used for several years until it resurfaced in the mid-1700s when Baron Anton de Stork, an Austrian physician, rediscovered its therapeutic properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGout can be identified by the hard nodules that form under the skin where the joints meet. Gout is a painful and destructive disease that can cause significant damage to the bone cartilage if left untreated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Medicines and sometimes surgery (in serious cases when mobility is hampered) can help eliminate uric acid crystals and offer relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benjamin Franklin was known to use colchicine to ease his gout flares.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nHistory of Gout Medication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAB Garrod was one of the first to identify that a low-purine diet helped control hyperuricemia. Haig later confirmed this in experiments he conducted on himself between 1894 and 1897.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important medical advancement in treating hyperuricemia was the development of allopurinol. It was one of the first xanthine oxidase inhibitors (inhibiting uric acid synthesis in the body) formulated and studied by George Hitchings and Gertrude Elion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were awarded the Nobel prize in 1988 for their work in developing the drug alongside groundbreaking discoveries in drug treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term also has Latin roots, with the word\u00a0gutta<\/em>\u00a0translating to “drop.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was so named because of the medieval belief that when one of a person’s four “humors<\/a>” were imbalanced ( a concept rooted in Shakesperian cosmology), the imbalance would cause one of them to “drop” into a joint. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The subsequent painful inflammation and swelling were believed to be its symptoms. Famous English physician Thoman Sydenham elaborated on the condition’s nature and symptoms when he was diagnosed with gout and renal disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was a time in the 1900s when it was acceptable to suffer from gout since it labeled the socially and politically affluent as powerful figures in society.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When a person’s uric acid levels are abnormally high, it leads to hyperuricemia, which causes gout. Gout occurs when uric acid deposits appear in and around the joints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These deposits can collect in the wrists, fingers, big toe, or knees, causing these areas to swell up and become painful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gout is an inflammatory form of arthritis. It’s mainly caused by individuals consuming food that is high in purines. When such food is eaten in excess, the body produces more uric acid as it digests purines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Incidents of gout in Asia aren’t as high or severe since people’s diets mostly consist of rice and vegetables. However, it’s more common in North America and Western Europe<\/a>, where people’s diets contain more meat and seafood, two food items that can contribute to hyperuricemia and gout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since more people worldwide can afford moderately comfortable to affluent lifestyles, their diets majorly consist of meat, seafood, and alcohol (beer is known to have the highest\u00a0purine content<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two thousand years ago, physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia described the symptoms of gout quite aptly as “hot needles being slowly pushed into your flesh. Every step’s an agony, and the weight of a simple bed sheet is unbearable.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gout can be significantly reversed if an individual drastically alters their lifestyle. Decreased levels of purines, increased hydration, and moderate physical activity can help gout patients in the long term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Several anti-inflammatory and pain medications on the market can also help alleviate the crippling effects of gout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Ancient Greece, Byzantine physician Alexander of Tralles used colchicine (a plant extract<\/a> derived from the autumn crocus) to treat gout. It wasn’t used for several years until it resurfaced in the mid-1700s when Baron Anton de Stork, an Austrian physician, rediscovered its therapeutic properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gout can be identified by the hard nodules that form under the skin where the joints meet. Gout is a painful and destructive disease that can cause significant damage to the bone cartilage if left untreated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Medicines and sometimes surgery (in serious cases when mobility is hampered) can help eliminate uric acid crystals and offer relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benjamin Franklin was known to use colchicine to ease his gout flares.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n AB Garrod was one of the first to identify that a low-purine diet helped control hyperuricemia. Haig later confirmed this in experiments he conducted on himself between 1894 and 1897.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important medical advancement in treating hyperuricemia was the development of allopurinol. It was one of the first xanthine oxidase inhibitors (inhibiting uric acid synthesis in the body) formulated and studied by George Hitchings and Gertrude Elion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They were awarded the Nobel prize in 1988 for their work in developing the drug alongside groundbreaking discoveries in drug treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Is Gout?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is Gout Curable?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
History of Gout Medication<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n