Why does my thumbs and big toes hurt? Please HELP!!!?

Question

So, when I bend my thumbs and big toes it kills. The pain lasts for 5 minutes, and when I bend it makes a cracking noise. It hurts when I type on the computer. What should I do? Is it some injury? Please HELP!!?!!

Answer 1

Gout is an inflammatory joint disease and a form of arthritis, not some mysterious illness of the rich and powerful.

Gout, which occurs in about five percent of people with arthritis, results from the buildup of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is the result of the breakdown of waste substances, called purines, in the body. Usually it is dissolved in the blood, processed by the kidneys, and passed out of the body in the urine. But in some people there is an excess amount of uric acid, too much for the kidneys to eliminate quickly. When there is too much uric acid in the blood, it crystallizes and collects in the joint spaces, causing gout. Occasionally, these deposits become so large that they push against the skin in lumpy patches, called tophi, that can actually be seen.

A gout attack usually lasts five to ten days, and the most common area under siege is the big toe. In fact, 75 percent of people with gout will be affected in the big toe at some time. Gout in the big toe can become so painful that even a bedsheet draped over it will cause intolerable pain. Besides the big toe, gout may also develop in the ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows.

If you're already predisposed to gout, you can trigger an episode by

Drinking too much alcohol

Overeating, especially purine foods

Having surgery

Experiencing a sudden severe illness or trauma

Going on a crash diet

Injuring a joint

Having chemotherapy

Being under stress. The link isn't the stress itself, but the comfort eating or drinking that may accompany it.

If you have gout, professional medical treatment is required. There are several prescription medications that are very effective at eliminating excess uric acid. Untreated, gout may progress to serious joint damage and disability. Also, excess uric acid can cause kidney stones.