What Triggers a Gout Attack?

Gout flares occur when excess uric acid forms crystals, causing inflammation in your joints that leads to swelling and pain. It is hard to say exactly what triggers an attack. They sometimes occur for no apparent reason. . .other times, something may seem to trigger the attack. Gout attacks may be triggered by alcohol, certain medicines, another illness, stressful events, or other factors.

Other Known Gout Triggers Include:

Talk to your healthcare professional about reducing the number of gout flares over the long term by reducing uric acid. By working together, you may be able to achieve and maintain lower, healthy uric acid levels. In fact, reducing uric acid levels to below 6 mg/dL is the goal for managing gout over the long term. Learn more about long term management of gout.