![](/img/logo/vendor/harvard-health-logo-long.png)
Symptom Checker
Step 4: Read and complete the decision guide to learn more about your symptoms.
Gout
The course of gout is variable but usually falls into one of a few patterns:
1) acute attacks - perhaps once or twice a year
2) frequent attacks - for example, every 2-3 months
3) chronic gout - including the development of tophi, joint damage as detected on x-rays, or long-term joint pain and swelling
4) disfiguring gout - if left untreated, large tophi may form, causing disfigurement and loss of joint function.
Treatment can alter the progression of gout from occasional sudden attacks to more chronic disease. Talk with your doctor about your diagnosis, the severity of your condition and how it is best treated.
Would you like to learn more about how your particular symptoms might be treated? Or, would you prefer to quit now?
Related documents
Disclaimer: This content should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a call or visit to a health professional. Use of this content is subject to specific terms of use & medical disclaimers.