Terminology
Gouty arthritis is arthritis caused by gout. That is,joint inflammation attributed to prior gout.
Gout is recurrent episodes of inflammation in thejoint, usually of the great toe, accompanied by highuric acid levels and the presence of sodium uratecrystals.
The main difference is that ‘gout’ is a condition withrecurrent episodes whereas ‘gouty arthritis’ is acondition with continual inflammation of the jointthat is no longe episodic in nature.
Sabina Shamel on May 31st, 2007
High uric acid is not a condition that means that you either have orwill ever get gout. Many many people have high uric acid levels andthey never get gout. To correlate gouty arthritus, which is acondition suffered by people who have had gout for a long time andhave suffered deterioration of their joints in and around the big toearea, with high uric acid levels is just plain silly. The physicianwho told the person that is either trying to get rid of the personbecause it is a problem he cannot solve, or worse, he or she is badlymisinformed.
Yes, indeed, if you are in pain, dosages of prednesone will make youfeel a lot better. If you had been hit by the entire front line ofthe Greenbay Packers, assuming you survived, you would also be inpain and, guess what, prednesone would make you feel a lot better.
You have had, and will probably continue to have, inflamation. It isnot likely, or even probable that it is related to gout.
The high blood pressure, however, is related to the uric acid levelsand therefore it is in his best interest to lower his uric acidlevel.