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Access your health information from any device with MyHealth. You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.
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MyHealth for Mobile
Gout Diagnosis
How is gout diagnosed?
To diagnose gout, your doctor may do:
- A joint fluid analysis to look for uric acid crystals. This is the only certain way to diagnose gout.
- A medical history and physical exam.
- A test to measure levels of uric acid in blood. This may be done if your doctor can't safely get fluid from the affected joint.
- A test to measure levels of uric acid in urine.
- Imaging tests, like ultrasound and computed tomography.
While X-rays of hands and feet are sometimes useful in the late stages of gout, X-rays aren't usually helpful in the early diagnosis. Pain often causes people to seek medical care before any long-term changes can be seen on an X-ray. But X-rays may help to rule out other causes of arthritis.
Your doctor may evaluate you for lead poisoning if you've been exposed to lead in your job or through hobbies.