Foot care with gout

Look at your feet

Gout flares often begin in the big toe or a lower limb, NIAMS says, so feet deserve a regular look. NIDDK’s foot-care advice, written for people with diabetes, is a sensible routine: check your feet every day, including between the toes, and use a mirror or ask someone to help if you cannot see them. Look for cuts, sores, red spots, swelling, blisters, ingrown toenails, corns or calluses, and warm spots.

Hard lumps under the skin near a joint can be tophi, which NIAMS describes as crystal buildup. Show them to a clinician rather than trying to remove them.

Skin and nail care

• Wash your feet in warm, not hot, water and dry well, especially between the toes (NIDDK).
• Trim toenails straight across and smooth the edges; do not cut into the corners (NIDDK).
• NIDDK says to have a foot doctor (podiatrist) trim your nails if you cannot see, feel, or reach your feet, or if nails are thick or growing into the skin.
• Do not cut corns or calluses yourself. NIDDK warns that cutting and over-the-counter corn removers can damage skin and cause infection.

Shoes and socks

NIDDK suggests shoes that feel good and have enough room for your toes, avoiding pointed toes and high heels, and checking inside a shoe before putting it on. Clean, well-fitting socks help prevent blisters. More on shoes for gout-affected feet.

Protecting a sore toe

• Keep pressure off the joint. The NHS advises not putting pressure on it and keeping bedclothes off it at night.
• Rest it, raise it, and use a wrapped cold pack, as NIAMS describes for a flare. Never put ice straight on skin.
• An open-toe or roomy slipper can help at home (see slippers and sandals).

If you have diabetes

NIDDK explains that diabetes can reduce feeling and blood flow in the feet, so a sore can go unnoticed and heal slowly. It advises against walking barefoot, against tight socks or elastic stockings, and against hot water bottles or heating pads on the feet, and it suggests asking for a foot check at every health care visit. Ask your care team before using cold packs, compression, or new footwear.

When to get care

• Now: a hot, swollen joint with fever, a joint you cannot bear weight on, or anything unlike your usual flares.
• Soon, per NIDDK: a cut, blister, or bruise that does not start to heal after a few days; skin that becomes red, warm, or painful; or a callus with dried blood in it.