C.D.
My Dad and brother both have gout. My Dad has had it as long as I can remember. I believe it is caused by uric acid crystals that collect in certain joints. There is medicine for it and your diet can affect it as well. Drinking plenty of water helps flush the uric acid from your body, so stay hydrated. Gout is a peculiar thing in that you can go for a long time with no symptoms and then have a flare up in something as small as a toe that hurts so much you can't even have the sheet on the bed touch it. (That was my first experience and I read later that it is a common one!) It can affect different parts of the body and to different degrees.
Good luck and try not to worry. It is treatable!
God bless!
Christi