Written by Spiro Koulouris | Medically Reviewed by Dr. Muhammad Qousain Ali, Consultant Rheumatologist on April 6, 2026

Faits Rapides sur la Goutte

Historically, gout was referred to as “the king of diseases and the disease of kings” or “rich man’s disease” and its first documentation dates back to Egypt, around 2600 BC. Why? It’s obvious that royalty and the rich could afford meats, alcohol and liked to fatten themselves up with other rich foods, as for the lower class they were stuck with a carbohydrate diet, whatever fruits and vegetables they raised on their land, rarely eating any meat but living a healthier life! Several hundred years ago gout was also thought to be caused by drops of viscous humors that seeped from blood into the joints. The word Gout is derived from Latin word gutta meaning “a drop of liquid” and has the unique distinction of being one of the most frequently recorded medical illnesses throughout history.

Qu'est-ce qui cause exactement la goutte ?

Gout is caused by excess levels of d'acide urique in the body and is one of the most painful forms of inflammatory arthritis. It’s a complex disorder that is more prevalent among men, and afflicts women more commonly after menopause. Besides men have higher uric acid levels in their blood than women, hence the prevalence of nearly 6% in men and 2% in women in the US. That’s about 8 million Americans that have gout! Gout is a kind of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid crystals in the joints.

Uric acid is a breakdown product of purines which are a group of chemicals present in all body tissues and many foods but it also has some antioxidant properties so it should be present in reasonable levels. Uric acid is a breakdown product of purines that are a part of many foods we eat mostly found in meats, seafood etc. An abnormality in handling uric acid and crystallization of these compounds in joints can cause attacks of painful arthritis, kidney stones, and blockage of the kidney filtering tubules with uric acid crystals and may lead to kidney injury and, if not managed properly, to eventual kidney failure.

Most of the time uric acid dissolves and goes into the urine via the kidneys. However, if the body is producing too much uric acid, or if the kidneys are not excreting enough uric acid, it builds up.  They may form monosodium urate crystals, which are needle-shaped under the microscope. This accumulates in the joints or surrounding tissue and may cause pain, inflammation and swelling.

It’s usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis- a red, tender, hot, swollen joint (God knows I’ve had many)- and the most commonly affected area is the big toe most of the time and is called podagra.D'autres articulations qui peuvent être affectées comprennent les chevilles, les genoux, les poignets, les doigts, les talons et les coudes, et il est conseillé de toujours reposer autant que possible l'articulation qui fait mal. Chez certaines personnes, la douleur aiguë est si intense qu'une simple feuille de lit sur l'orteil provoque une douleur sévère.

I’ve personally had sleepless nights of tossing and turning, trying to numb the pain with a bag of ice. Usually, the gout attacks occur in the middle of the night, lower temperatures and coolness in peripheral joints may promote urate crystal formation, which explains nocturnal attacks.

En creusant davantage, on découvre que des niveaux élevés d'acide urique dans le sang, appelés L'hyperuricémie is the underlying cause of gout. Surprisingly, hyperuricemia is commonly found in many people who never develop gout. Hyperuricemia results from a combination of increased uric acid production and, more commonly, reduced excretion from the kidneys. There is definitely a genetic factor because a person who has close relatives with hyperuricemia is more likely to develop it himself.

To confirm a diagnosis of gout, your doctor may draw a sample of fluid from an inflamed joint to look for crystals associated with gout or do a blood test to measure the amount of uric acid in the blood, which may come back normal even at the time of a gout attack.

Qui est à risque ?

Finally, you are more likely to develop gout if you are a male, obese, is in your family genes, drink excessive alcohol, eat foods high in purines, regular aspirin, niacin or diuretics use, hypertension, prolonged lead exposure, surgery etc. Complications may also arise from gout like recurrent gout, advanced gout in which urate crystals may form under the skin in nodules otherwise known as tophi, calculs rénaux may cause urate crystals to accumulate in the urinary tract, gout may also spread to other joints and obviously cause damage to the joints.

Mythes sur la goutte

Malgré la goutte étant une maladie de plus en plus courante, il existe encore beaucoup de mythes à son sujet que les gens croient. Examinons-les et démystifions chacun.

Mythe 1 : Seules les personnes riches et obèses ont la goutte

At one time this was true, but these days, hardly. The regular person now has access to all sorts of food and with processed food becoming more common, it’s not hard to be at risk for developing gout. Your yearly income has nothing to do with gout but your genes certainly do. If one of your parents had gout, you’re likely to develop it later on if you’re not careful.

Mythe 2 : La goutte n'attaque que le gros orteil

Il est très courant que la première crise de goutte se produise dans le gros orteil. Mais l'acide urique ne se dépose pas uniquement sous forme de cristaux ici. Il peut également affecter d'autres articulations comme les coudes, les mains, les genoux et les chevilles. 

Mythe 3 : Seuls les hommes peuvent avoir la goutte

Women too can have gout but they are at lesser risk than men. This is due to the fact that women have estrogen which helps remove uric acid in the body. Once they hit menopause, they are more likely to develop gout.

Mythe 4 : Si vous suivez un régime alimentaire sain et évitez les déclencheurs de la goutte, vous pouvez éviter les crises de goutte.

While maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding high purine foods is important for managing your gout symptoms, this alone will not make your condition go away. Unfortunately, once you have gout, you have it forever but it is a highly treatable disease, especially with focused lifestyle changes and effective uric acid-lowering therapy. The good news is that there are now numerous medications you can take to manage your condition. There are medicines specifically for lowering uric acid and then there’s also some for getting rid of the pain and swelling. If you have conditions like kidney disease along with your gout, there’s medicine for that too.

Mythe 5 : La goutte est une condition auto-infligée.

 This is often one of the biggest myths that gout patients has had to debunk for people they know.  It’s very common to joke about gout because it was once known as a rich man’s disease. Sure, lifestyle can be a contributing factor to developing gout, but as we mentioned earlier, it is also genetic. So it doesn’t matter how good you are with dieting and exercising, if your family history has it, you’re more likely to have it too.

Mythe 6 : La goutte est une maladie de vieux hommes.

Men are more likely to get gout earlier in life. This is due to a combination of factors: genes and our modern lifestyle. If you live a high stress life and eat an unhealthy diet, you’re more likely to develop gout if you have susceptible genes from one of your parents. 

Quelle a été votre expérience avec la goutte ? Quand avez-vous été diagnostiqué et comment l'avez-vous vécu ? Partagez votre opinion dans les commentaires ci-dessous. 

Crédits

1. www.medicalnewstoday.com

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This article is for educational purposes only and should not replace medical advice. Patients should consult their physician for individual management.