Gout in Escondido, CA
Stop the Flare, Prevent the Next One
- Two board-certified doctors
- Accurate diagnoses
- Injections, oral meds, and prevention
- Same-week visits, most PPOs and HMOs
Why Patients Choose North County
Foot & Ankle Specialists for Gout
Sudden joint pain needs a doctor who can name the cause. If you are searching for a podiatrist in Escondido, CA, here is what sets our gout care apart.
First to Spot Gout
About 70 percent of gout occurs in the big toe joint, which makes a podiatrist the first to recognize and treat it. Board-certified Dr. Morris and Dr. Redkar both diagnose and treat gout in Escondido.
Careful Diagnoses
Not every burning toe is gout. Our doctors use specific diagnostic testing to determine whether gout is behind your pain, so your treatment plan matches the actual condition.
Relief and Prevention
Injections and oral medication treat the active flare. Our doctors can also work with you on prevention medication, so one gout attack does not have to turn into a pattern.
Cost and Insurance
- Since gout is a medical condition, treatment will most likely be covered by insurance. Our Escondido, CA, practice accepts most major PPOs and HMOs.
- Contact our practice for exact price quotes for gout treatments. Should out-of-pocket costs occur, our warm and friendly staff will do everything they can to make treatment as affordable as possible. We value patients over profits.
What Causes Gout?
- A rise in the uric acid level in your bloodstream is responsible for sudden gout attacks. If your kidneys cannot process this abundance of uric acid, sharp dagger-like crystals can form and build up in your joints, especially your big toe.
- Your uric acid level can rise if you consume too much red meat or liver, sugary or alcoholic beverages, or seafood that is rich in a natural substance called purine (tuna, trout, scallops, etc.)
- Uric acid levels can also rise if you are overweight, have high blood pressure or kidney disease, or have a family history of gout.
- Men tend to develop gout more often than women as men usually have a higher level of uric acid. Women normally have low uric acid levels until after menopause, when the uric acid in their bloodstream begins to rise.
- Certain medications that treat high blood pressure, kidney disease, anti-rejection drugs for organ transplant patients, or diuretics can cause too much uric acid in your body.
- If left untreated, excess uric acid and its associated crystals can cause kidney stones, destroy joints, and create sensitive nodules on your feet and ankles.
Two Reasons Why Gout Mostly Affects the Big Toe
Our big toe is one of the coldest parts of our body because it is the farthest distance away from our heart. When high levels of uric acid build up in the joint of our big toe, the cooler temperature causes sharp uric acid crystals to form.
Other joints like the elbows, knees, and fingers are warmer, which reduces the risk of uric acid crystals forming. In fact, over 70 percent of gout cases involve the big toe, which is why you should seek care from our Escondido, CA, foot specialists.
Before and After Gout Treatment
Treatment by our pioneering foot and ankle doctors can reduce or eliminate the symptoms of gout attacks, and prevent gout attacks from reoccurring.
Suffering from Intense, Sudden Joint Pain?
Dr. Morris and Dr. Redkar will use advanced, specific diagnostic testing to determine if gout is causing your discomfort, after which an individualized non-surgical treatment plan can be put in place.
Gout attacks can be incredibly painful. Don't suffer. Contact our patient-friendly Escondido, CA, practice as soon as a flare up occurs. Our doctors are not afraid to go toe to toe with this serious, life-affecting medical condition.
Is Gout a Common Condition?
Gout used to be called "the disease of kings," because royalty in days of old often developed it due to their extravagant, rich diets and massive alcohol consumption. In reality, though, anyone can suffer an attack of gout caused by excessive uric acid in the bloodstream.
*According to Medscape
