Gout is a condition that often affects your feet, especially in the big toe, because of too much uric acid in your body. Gout is a type of inflammatory arthritis. Although it can affect almost any joint in the body, it most commonly affects the joint at the base of the big toe. Gout usually occurs due to a high concentration of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a chemical that usually dissolves in the blood and leaves the body through the urine. In people with gout, excess uric acid begins to accumulate and form crystals in the joints. Uric acid crystal deposits can trigger an extreme inflammatory reaction, which causes pain and swelling in the affected area.
