Gout is a very painful condition`

HISTORICALLY seen as an illness that punishes over-indulgers, guilty of lapping up too much red wine and gorging on a meat-rich diet, gout has been treated as a bit of a joke.

Sufferers are often stereotyped and their affliction — often an extremely sore and swollen big toe — mocked. But, with people living longer than ever, gout is on the rise, and it’s not just older people who are affected. It is, in fact, the most common type of inflammatory arthritis, affecting 1.4% of adults, and for anybody who’s experienced it, it’s widely recognised as one of the most excruciating forms of joint pain. So what exactly is gout, what causes it and who gets it?

MAIN SYMPTOMS: