Gout typically looks like a sudden, severe attack of pain in a joint, most commonly the big toe, but it can also affect other joints such as the feet, ankles, hands, wrists, elbows, and knees. The affected joint appears hot, swollen, red, and very tender, often so painful that even light touch, like a bedsheet, can be unbearable
. In more detail, the symptoms include:
- Intense joint pain that usually starts suddenly, often at night
- Swelling and redness around the joint, with the skin sometimes looking shiny and bright red
- Warmth and tenderness in the affected area
- Difficulty moving the joint due to pain and swelling
In chronic or advanced cases, gout can cause the formation of firm, hard lumps called tophi under the skin. These tophi are yellow or cream-colored nodules formed by uric acid crystal deposits and can sometimes break through the skin, releasing a chalky white substance. Tophi commonly appear on fingers, toes, elbows, and other joints
. Thus, visually, gout presents as a very painful, swollen, red, and warm joint during acute attacks, and in chronic stages, it may show visible lumps (tophi) under the skin near affected joints.
