A few angried viewers were on social media over the weekend following BBC Breakfast regular Charlie Stayt was substituted for the Saturday morning show. While the absence of the presenter was not discussed by him or the BBC however, many viewers believed it was due to illness as something Stayt has previously addressed before.
When he appeared on the show in 2014, BBC Breakfast, Stayt who usually prefers to keep his health in the dark – disclosed that in the past , he has been suffering due to his “extraordinarily painful” condition of Gout. It was while specialist Dr Amrit Ryatt was on the show to discuss the symptoms and signs of the condition that the 60-year-old came out and confirmed that not only he suffers from the condition and that it was rapidly becoming a reality.
Gout is defined by NHS as a form of arthritis that triggers “sudden, severe joint pain”. The most common occurrence is in the big toe however, gout may also affect joints in the hands, feet wrists, elbows, wrists and knees.
The condition can be extremely painful. could be and how painful it can be, Dr. Ryatt explained: “It can affect one or more joints in the body and cause a variety of symptoms. From acute, short-term signs to untreated, it can cause other problems.
“Some women have compared the pain] to childbirth , and men have described it as very painful .
In the course of the conversation, Stayt then shared: “I have had gout in my foot, and it is extraordinarily painful and happened very quickly, literally sort of overnight.”
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain that flares of gout typically begin suddenly, and signs lasting for several days, or even weeks.
The flares are followed by prolonged periods of remission, months, weeks, or years without any symptoms until a flare occurs. When a flare occurs the symptoms could be:
- Pain, which is typically severe
- Swelling
- Redness
- Heat.
These symptoms arise due to an accumulation of uric acid within the body. Also known as hyperuricemia as the body produces urine when it breaks down purines that are found in your body as well as food items you consume.
However, when there is too much uric acid in the body, uric acid crystals (monosodium urate) can build up in joints, fluids, and tissues within the body. It is important to note that hyperuricemia does not always cause gout, and hyperuricemia without gout symptoms does not need to be treated.
Left questioning why he had been affected by the condition, Stayt put his questions to Dr Ryatt, adding: “It makes you question. Obviously it is linked to diet a lot, traditionally linked to alcohol. What do you say to people who have suffered from gout and how do you treat it?”
Responding, Dr Ryatt shared: “There are some things that everyone can do, whether they have had gout before or [to] reduce the risk of getting gout. You have mentioned alcohol and diet.
“Certainly certain types of alcohol such as beers, ports and fortified wines and stouts have high levels of purines, which is what is broken down to form uric acid, which causes gout. So avoid drinking too much of them if you have a predisposition to getting gout.
