Gout Specialist

Amit Shah DPM

Podiatrists & Board Certified Foot and Ankle Surgeons located in North Brunswick, Edison, & Cranbury, NJ

Gout attacks can happen suddenly, leaving you with terrible stabbing pain and joint stiffness. Because gout often affects the big toe, it's best to see a foot care expert for pain relief and preventive care. At Amit Shah DPM in North Brunswick, Edison, and Cranbury, New Jersey, Drs. Shah and Armanious, DPM, relieve your symptoms and help you get back on your feet fast. Call the practice location nearest you to speak with a friendly team member or book online today.

Gout Q&A

What is gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes serious bouts of major joint pain, swelling, and inflammation. It typically affects your first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint at the base of your big toe.

Gout attacks are usually sporadic and severe. Because gout flare-ups are often unbearably painful, it's important to get help with symptom management and prevention from the team at Amit Shah DPM.

What are the symptoms of gout?

The most common symptom of gout is usually sudden terrible joint pain, typically centered in your big toe on one foot. You may also have extreme skin sensitivity around the joint, causing even a featherlight touch to feel very painful.

During a gout attack, you might find it impossible to stand or walk on the affected foot. Some gout sufferers develop tophi, which are bumps of uric acid buildup just beneath your skin. Tophi can damage your joints badly if your gout is left untreated.

Gout attacks tend to start at night, but can happen at any hour.

What causes gout?

Gout develops because of uric acid accumulation in your joints. Your body makes about 66% of the uric acid in your body, and the remainder comes from purines. These substances occur naturally in many foods.

High purine foods include alcoholic beverages, some types of meat, and some types of seafood. Even some medications can also trigger gout attacks.

How can I treat gout attacks?

Gout isn't curable, but with help from the skilled providers at Amit Shah DPM, you can manage it very effectively. You may benefit from a low-purine diet or a change to your current medication regimen along with foot care at Amit Shah DPM.

In addition to reducing your purine levels where possible, your podiatrist can help you manage the joint pain with oral or injected anti-inflammatory or corticosteroid drugs. Some gout sufferers also benefit from medications that reduce uric acid in the blood.

The team can help you put a gout prevention plan into effect, and this can help you greatly reduce flare-ups.

For gout relief and prevention, call the office of Amit Shah, DPM, or use the online appointment scheduler now.