BIG Toe pain after Thanksgiving feast

Sudden, severe pain in the big toe after a big holiday meal? You just may have gout (also called podagra). Once known as the “rich man’s disease” — Ben Franklin and the kings of England had it — gout is typically triggered by an overload of “rich” foods such as red meat, turkey, shellfish, and red wine. Any sudden surge of protein can bring on an attack, which is why Thanksgiving and the holidays are classic gout season.

How Gout Shows Up

Gout causes sudden, intense inflammation of the big-toe joint (or the ankle) with extreme pain that often comes on overnight, hours after a heavy meal. The joint becomes red, hot, swollen, and so tender that even a bed sheet hurts.

What It Can Be Confused With

A gout attack can look exactly like cellulitis or a joint infection — red, hot, and swollen — which is why it is sometimes misdiagnosed. A physician may even treat for both until the picture is clear.

How Gout Is Diagnosed

A blood uric-acid level is actually unreliable during an acute attack, because levels can be normal at the very moment the toe flares. The most accurate test is joint-fluid aspiration — withdrawing a small amount of fluid from the joint with a needle to look for the uric-acid crystals that confirm gout.

How Gout Is Treated

• Cortisone injection to calm the acute attack
• Anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs)
• Plenty of fluids
• Sometimes long-term medication to control uric-acid levels and prevent future attacks
• Dietary changes — moderating red meat, shellfish, alcohol, and sugary drinks

Repeated attacks can damage the joint over time, so gout is worth treating properly rather than just waiting it out. See your podiatrist for fast relief and a plan to prevent the next flare.

For more information or to be seen for a painful, swollen toe, call (239) 430-3668 (FOOT) or book online at NaplesPodiatrist.com.

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Serving Southwest Florida since 2005, Family Foot & Leg Center has 9 convenient locations throughout Collier, Lee, Charlotte, and Sarasota Counties — Naples, Estero, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, and Sarasota. We provide pediatric to geriatric foot and ankle care: ingrown toenails, heel pain, bunions, foot & ankle arthritis, plantar fasciitis, foot & ankle surgery, custom orthotics, and diabetic wound care — with in-office X-rays, diagnostic ultrasound, and minor surgical suites. Home of the Lam Minimally Invasive No-Scar Bunion Surgery. Same-day appointments and easy online scheduling.