the.com/gout
A painful form of arthritis caused by uric acid crystals in the joints, most often the big toe.
means A form of arthritis caused by excess uric acid crystallizing in the joints, classically striking the big toe with sudden, severe pain.
from From Old French 'goutte,' meaning 'a drop,' which came from Latin 'gutta.' Medieval medicine blamed the disease on bad bodily fluids dripping drop-by-drop into the joints — so the name describes the old theory of its cause, not the symptom itself.
- actual cause
- Uric acid crystals form in a joint and cause sudden, severe pain
- old nickname
- Once called the disease of kings, because rich food was rare
- favorite target
- the big toe, first and most dramatically
- risk factors
- Diet, genetics, some medicines and kidney function all play a part