It is uncommon in women and rarely affects children. Alcohol and protein-rich foods are main contributors to gout. It affects mainly the big toe but can attack other joints as well. It can affect several areas at once causing a crippling effect. The disease is rare in people under thirty years of age.
Overweight individuals are more susceptible to chronic gout.
Without warning and, for some reason, in the middle of the night, it strikes - an intense pain in a joint, most often the big toe, but sometimes other joints, including ankles, knees, elbows, hips, thumbs, or fingers. Attacks of gout can be unexpected and excruciatingly painful. With prompt treatment, the pain and inflammation disappear after a few days, but they may recur at any time. Nine out of ten gout sufferers are middle-aged men, and about half of them have a hereditary predisposition to the ailment. Gout is uncommon in women and very rare in children.