Gout is a condition in which the joints become inflamed as a result of increased levels of uric acid in the blood. Gout causes the acid to crystallize within joints, tendons and tissue, causing significant pain and most often affects the knee, big toe, and ankle joints. Gout causes redness, swelling, and sudden pain in the joint, and may sometimes cause a fever. Gout may be acute and affect one joint for a limited period of time, or gout may be chronic and repeatedly strike multiple joints in the body. People who are obese or have diabetes, kidney disease, anemia, or blood cancer are at an increased risk of developing gout.
