Are you having any sudden, severe attacks of pain (10/10) , swelling, redness, warmth in the joints of your foot? So painful that the weight of the bed sheet is intolerable? Waking you up in the middle of the night? But no recent trauma?

You are most likely experiencing an acute gouty attack. Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood.

Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines — substances that are found naturally in your body. Purines are also found in certain foods, such as steak, organ meats and seafood. Other foods also promote higher levels of uric acid, such as alcoholic beverages, especially beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose). Normally, uric acid dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But sometimes either your body produces too much uric acid or your kidneys excrete too little uric acid. When this happens, uric acid can build up, forming sharp, needlelike urate crystals in a joint or surrounding tissue that cause pain, inflammation and swelling. Call Cutting Edge Foot and Ankle clinic, 615-866-9639 if you are experiencing any of these intolerable symptoms. We will be able to provide you with quick relief and treatment of an extremely painful acute gout attack.