How to distinguish gout and rheumatism that you need to know before taking the wrong medicine

YOGYAKARTA - Sudden joint pain often makes people confused and panicked. This article will discuss how to distinguish between gout and rheumatism can actually be done from the initial symptoms that appear.

Recognizing the difference early on is important so that the treatment is not wrong. Many people think that these two conditions are the same because they both cause pain and swelling in the joints.

Reported from the arthritis website, in the advanced stage, gout can look very similar to rheumatism. Both cause pain and inflammation in several joints at once.

It is no wonder that doctors can also make a wrong diagnosis, especially if the patient's initial symptoms are not fully communicated.

A specialist doctor from Emory University School of Medicine confirmed that if the history of previous symptoms is not known, a rheumatic diagnosis can indeed appear in cases that are actually advanced gout.

Gout is an inflammatory disease that occurs when excess uric acid in the blood precipitates as crystals in the joints. This condition can be triggered by genetic factors, kidney disorders, excessive alcohol consumption, or high-purine foods such as offal and seafood.

The typical symptoms of gout, including sudden attacks of intense pain, often start from the toes. The first attack often appears after physical trauma, pain, or injury. Over time, the pain can spread to the feet, knees, and wrists before finally becoming chronic.

In the chronic stage, gout can attack many joints at once. This process usually lasts for several years. This is where gout begins to resemble rheumatism and is prone to being misdiagnosed.

Read also: 7 Healthy Foods for Gout Recommended So That Joint Pain Does Not Easily Recur

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not a matter of diet, but an autoimmune disease. The body's immune system mistakenly attacks the thin layer that lines the joints. As a result, there is chronic damage and pain.

Rheumatism can appear suddenly in many joints at once, or develop slowly in several joints. The pattern of attack tends to be symmetrical, meaning that the right and left joints of the body are affected simultaneously. This is different from gout, whose attacks are not always symmetrical.

Gout usually attacks patients suddenly with very intense pain. The first attack almost always starts from the big toe, often after a trigger such as pain or injury. The pattern of the attack comes and goes before it becomes chronic.

Rheumatism, on the other hand, develops gradually and is progressive. The affected joints are usually symmetrical, for example, the right and left wrists are painful at the same time.

Then stiffness in the morning that lasts more than an hour is a typical sign that distinguishes rheumatism from gout.

In terms of triggers, the two are very different. Gout is triggered by foods high in purines, alcohol consumption, genetic factors, or kidney dysfunction. Rheumatism is not at all related to diet because the cause is the immune system mistakenly attacking its own joint tissue.

That's why a low-purine diet won't be effective if what you suffer from is rheumatic. Recognizing the pattern of symptoms from the start is the key to making the treatment really targeted.

Understanding how to distinguish gout and rheumatism, you will also maintain the quality of your life in the future. Don't let joint pain interfere with your daily activities because of the wrong treatment. Find more reliable health, lifestyle, and medical tips only at VOI.