A disturbance in chemical balance of the body, in which chronic excess uric acid in the blood leads to the deposition of the needle shaped urate crystals in and around the joints and tendons, where they cause inflammation
Gout not only causes inflammatory arthritis but also causes teno synovitis, bursitis, or cellulites ,tophaceous deposits, urolithiasis and renal disease.

The onset is sudden, unexpected , and excruciating and painful
It strikes an intense pain in the joint ,most often the big toe, but some times other joints ,including knees, elbows, thumbs, or fingers

Generally pain disappears after medication but usually they recur again
Gout commonly occurs in middle aged men
It is usually uncommon in women and very rare in children
Men who are obese and who have high blood pressure are more prone to the disease

CAUSES:

•Hereditary

•Improper function of the kidney

•Reaction to the alcohol

•Reaction to certain drugs

•Enzyme deficiencies

•Lead poisoning

•Disorder is associated with an injury or any surgical procedure

•Highly proteinous diet

•Idiopathic causes

•Starvation

•Psoriasis

•Toxaemia of pregnancy

•May also occur in some forms of tumors and cancers

SYMPTOMS:

1.Joint of the big toe is the common and primary site of affection in majority of the patients

2.Other sites of affection are ankle, knee, hand, heel

3.Sudden and intense pain of the affected joint

4.The gouty joint becomes hot, red, swollen and severly painful

5.Acute attack may be accompanied by fever , anorexia, malaise, head ache, nausea, or change of the mood

6.There is tendency to have recurrent attacks , but symptoms typically donot last a week

7.There may be secondary degenerative changes in the form of tophi

HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH:

LEDUM PAULSTRE:

It is a good remedy in acute and chronic cases of gout
Tearing, shooting, stinging, type of pain
Joint swollen , hot and pale
There is no accompanying fever
Soles painful can hardly step on them
Ball of great toe swollen
Gout begins in lower limb and ascends

BRYONIA ALBUM:

Joint red, hot, swollen with stiches and tearing
Every spot is painful on pressure
Weariness and heaviness of the limbs
Swollen sensation in the joints with intense pain
Constant motion of left arm and leg

BENZOIC ACID:

Useful in persons with uric acid diathesis
Swelling of wrist with gouty deposits
Gouty deposits and nodes are painful
Tearing pain in the great toe
Tearing pain in tendons and joints with stiches
Oedema of lower extremities

LITHIUM CARB:

Uric acid diathesis causing gout
Whole body is sore
Joint swollen tender and red and painful to touch
Pain in hollow of foot extending to the knee
Ankle painful when walking
Paralytic stiffness all over the body
Nodular swelling of the joints

COLCHICUM:

Inflammation of big toe and heel
Acute pain making patient scream when touched
Tearing, jerking pains especially in finger joints
Metastasis from big toe to the heart
Joint stiff feverish and tender and swollen
Sensation of pins and needles in hands and wrist finger tips numb
Edematous swelling pits on pressure