Gout is a specific type of arthritis that is a result of too much uric acid in the blood. The high uric acid levels may form hard crystals in the joints, most often in the big toe. Over time, this can harm your joints, tendons, and other tissues.

Gout causes a sudden burning pain, stiffness, and swelling in a joint. This generally occurs at night and is so intense that even the slightest touch can be intolerable. These attacks can arise repeatedly if not properly treated.

Your chances of getting gout are higher if you are overweight, consumer a high quantity of alcohol, or eat too much meat and fish that are high in chemicals called purines.

There are 4 stages of Gout:

1. High blood uric levels: The uric acid in the blood may be higher than normal, but there are no symptoms of gout. Although, higher uric acid in the blood may never progress beyond this stage
and symptoms of gout may never appear.
2. Acute gout arthritis: Uric acid crystals begin to form in the joint fluid and the body often
responds with a sudden inflammatory reaction, known as a gout attack. Although the big toe is the most common site for an attack, gout may develop in other joints, including the knee, ankle, wrist, fingers and other parts of the foot.
3. Interval gout: If you have previously had an attack of gout, you will likely have another. This type of gout, you have no symptoms for a period of time between acute attacks. In many people, this period become progressively shorter as attacks occur more often. Later attacks may be more severe, last longer, and involve more than one joint.
4. Chronic tophaceous gout: If gout symptoms have occurred on and off without treatment for several years, they may become chronic and frequently affect more than one joint. There may no longer be periods of time between attacks. This stage is frequently confused with other forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis. By this time, enough uric acid crystals have accumulated in the body just under the surface of the skin, these deposits are usually firm and movable.