What Are Pseudogout Symptoms?

Pseudogout is one of the many types of arthritis that makes the affected joint painful, stiff, tender, warm, red, and swollen or inflamed. It typically affects just a single joint at one time, commonly a joint in the wrist or knee, but there are cases when more than one joint is affected. Pseudogout may also develop in the toes, ankles, hips, knuckles, elbows or shoulders.

Pseudogout symptoms closely resemble the symptoms of gout, another type of arthritis, hence, its name. In addition, symptoms of other medical conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis also bear some similarities to pseudogout symptoms.

The common pseudogout symptoms include sudden and intense pain in the joint; swelling in the joint; red or purplish skin over the joint that feels warm to the touch; and a severe soreness surrounding the joint that can bring intense pain even with the lightest pressure or touch. Most pseudogout symptoms stop within as few as 5 days up to a couple of weeks, even without any treatment.

Pseudogout symptoms may mimic gout symptoms but their causes are very different. Unlike gout, which is characterized by uric acid buildup, pseudogout is a result of the abnormal accumulation of calcium pyrophosphate or CPP crystals in the bone’s cartilage. Later, crystals of calcium pyrophosphate enter the fluid in the bone’s joint and when this happens, it causes attacks resembling those of gouty arthritis.

Because pseudogout symptoms can be easily mistaken for other diseases, it is important to be properly diagnosed. A simple blood test, however, is not enough to determine whether a person has pseudogout. A study of the joint fluid from the affected joint is necessary to diagnose this disease. Using a microscope, the fluid is observed for the presence of calcium pyrophosphate crystals.

Arthrocentesis is the procedure used to extract fluid from the affected joint. It is also helpful in reducing the surrounding pressure in the joint, thereby, relieving some of the pain. Since there are several types of arthritis and different kinds of substances that can accumulate in the joint, it is crucial that you get an accurate diagnosis if you are experiencing any of the above pseudogout symptoms in order to receive the right treatment.

Pseudogout treatment is also similar to gout treatment, with the exception of the use of medications for lowering uric acid. The objective of a pseudogout treatment plan is to relieve pseudogout symptoms such as inflammation and pain. After starting with treatment, sufferers can expect relief from pseudogout symptoms within twenty four hours. Treatment also aims to prevent the recurrence of attacks that could cause permanent damage to the joints. The specific treatment of pseudogout is dependent upon certain factors such as the patient’s age, medical history, other medications the patient is taking, the acuteness of the attack and the patient’s overall wellbeing.