Prevention

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with your big toe throbbing fiercely-as if someone had poked it with a hot iron. Chances are you have gout. Acute gout attacks are unmistakable, says Dr. Brian Mandell, education program director of rheumatology and immunologic disease at The Cleveland Clinic. They are excruciating episodes usually involving a joint in the lower extremities and are characterized by redness, swelling, extreme pain, and skin sensitivity. …