What should you know about gout flare up symptoms?

The inflammation may start quickly in one joint, commonly the big toe, ankle, or knee. The skin over the joint can look red or shiny, and the area may feel warmer than the other side. Even a bedsheet or shoe may be uncomfortable. Gout presents with these symptoms, but symptoms alone cannot distinguish it from infection, injury, or another inflammatory arthritis.

Pain and swelling can spread around a joint or nearby soft tissue. See [Joint Swelling](/symptoms/joint-swelling/), [Ankle Swelling](/symptoms/ankle-swelling/), and [Knee Swelling](/symptoms/knee-swelling/) for related symptom information. [Gout](/conditions/gout/) is confirmed through clinical assessment and, when needed, testing.

Protect and rest the painful joint, raise it when comfortable, and apply a cool pack wrapped in a towel for short intervals. Use the flare medicine already prescribed for you according to its instructions. Avoid taking someone else’s medicine or adding an anti-inflammatory without checking whether it is safe with your kidney function, stomach history, pregnancy status, and other medicines.

Write down the onset, location, severity, fever or other symptoms, and what you have taken. This gives the clinician a clearer picture of the episode.

Get urgent medical help for a hot swollen joint with fever or chills, rapidly worsening redness, a wound near the joint, severe weakness, or feeling acutely unwell. Arrange assessment soon for a first episode, an unusual pattern, or pain that does not settle with your plan. Infection can produce similar symptoms and should not be assumed to be gout.

Ask how the symptoms will be confirmed, what to take at the earliest sign, which warning signs require urgent care, and whether you need a plan to prevent further flares.