Does joint aspiration treat gout?

During a flare, a joint may hold extra fluid and become intensely painful, swollen, warm, and difficult to move. A clinician can remove some fluid with a needle. Examining that fluid for urate crystals can support a gout diagnosis and help distinguish it from infection, which can look similar.

Removing fluid may ease pressure, but it does not remove the urate deposits or change the body's uric acid balance. Longer-term care may include a plan to manage flares and reduce future crystal build-up, based on your health and diagnosis.

Contact a clinician if this is your first suspected gout flare, if the diagnosis is uncertain, or if the pain is severe. Describe which joint changed, how quickly symptoms appeared, and any fever or recent illness. Take prescribed treatment exactly as directed and do not stop long-term gout medicine without medical advice. Rest the joint and avoid pressure while it is very tender.

Seek urgent medical care for a hot, swollen joint with fever, chills, marked illness, or rapidly worsening pain. Infection inside a joint can damage the joint and may need immediate treatment. Arrange review if a flare does not improve as expected or keeps returning.

Ask whether joint fluid should be tested for crystals and infection, what to use for the current flare, and whether you need a long-term uric acid management plan. Ask how your other medicines or kidney health affect treatment choices.