If you think you may develop or have gout, then there are certain gout symptom factors you should be aware of. The indicators of this painful form of arthritis come in many forms. Below are some things you should know that could increase your chances of developing gout.

Men, ages 40 to 50, are the most likely to experience gout, but it can also develop in women after menopause. It also affects people who have suffered from the following:

- having kidney disease

- history of obesity

- having diabetes

- hardened arteries (otherwise known as hyperlipidemia)

- high blood pressure history,

or those who’ve undergone an organ transplant.

One of the most common risk factors for developing a gout symptom is history of the disease in the family. Over 18% of people with the disease have said that they have a family history with it. This is usually due to conditions such as weaker organs (like kidneys) being passed down from generation to generation, and/or high purine foods in family meals passed down through the generations.

Other gout symptom risk factors include:

- being exposed to lead

- lost of alcohol intake, which leads to high levels of uric acid in your bloodstream

- enzymes in the body that are defective and interfere with your body’s ability to break down purines

You’ll know you’ve just experienced your first gout symptom when you see and feel your shiny, red, and painfully swollen big toe (or other joint). At first it seems simple but if it’s left untreated, you’ll suffer more pain progressively until wearing a sock or having a sheet over your foot hurts too much. You’ll also have longer and more frequent gout attacks in the future, and other joints (like ankles and elbows) will get infected.

If any of these gout symptom risk factors manifest themselves into an actual gout outbreak, you can take ibuprofen, in the form of Motrin or Advil. Or you can try some natural remedies at home to get rid of the pain temporarily until the gout goes away, such as placing an ice pack on the joint to numb it. Now matter what you do, seek treatment as soon as possible.