Both of these conditions are quite uncomfortable to live with, however, by visiting a specialist who knows what they are doing, you can easily receive treatment that will allow you to live a normal and happy life without any pain or discomfort.
Handling gout
One of the most common conditions that targets the joints is gout. This is a condition caused by the formation of small crystals around those joints, which leads to inflammation, swelling, and pain. The crystals which cause gout are from uric acid, which is a normal waste that is expelled out the body via urine thanks to the kidneys.
However, sometimes the amount of uric acid is too high to be processed by the kidneys, and that is when it is released into the blood flow, which eventually causes them to get stuck on joints, and cause gout. If you are experiencing some joint pain, visiting a specialist for a checkup is often a good idea, and they will provide you with gout treatment in Brisbane if your diagnostic tests display signs of gout.
Since gout affects patients of all ages, and it can come without any signs. In some cases, it can happen overnight, and the affected joints are most commonly the ones at the big toe, but it is not rare that gout affects hands, wrists, knees, elbows and ankles.
The treatment for gout lies in the form of medication such as corticosteroids, NSAIDs, and colchicine which affects the levels of uric acid crystals. In order to prevent gout from happening at all, you should consider to take medication, lower the alcohol intake, and lose weight if you are overweight.
Gout often affects the big toe
Handling osteoarthritis
While most arthritis cases only attack the joints, when it comes to osteoarthritis, this condition will affect the joint, and the tissue around the joint. That means it can cause damage to the cartilage, while causing bony spurs to grow around the edge of the joint, and it can also deteriorate ligaments.
It can sometimes be a bit difficult to diagnose osteoarthritis as symptoms vary from person to person, however, an experienced specialist will not have a problem with that after you go through a couple of tests, like taking an x-ray.
The main cause of this condition is being overweight, as the pure weight puts a lot of stress on the affected joints. That is why the most common joints affected are the ones in knees and hips, however, sometimes it can occur in hand as well. You can find more information about this condition at https://arthritiscare.com.au/service/psoriatic-arthritis, or you can consult with your doctor.
Illustration of osteoarthritis
Final word
Visiting a specialist for additional consultations after your doctor recommends it is one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself, and you should never ignore that advice, even if the pain you are experiencing at that moment is tolerable. That pain if left unattended can turn into real agony, which is something you do not want.