People with gout can develop more-severe conditions. It's uncommon for gout to cause any further problems but you may get :
- Recurrent gout. Some people may never experience gout signs and symptoms again. But others may experience gout several times each year. Medications may help prevent gout attacks in people with recurrent gout.
- Advanced gout. Untreated gout may cause deposits of urate crystals to form under the skin in nodules called tophi (TOE-fi). Tophi usually aren't painful, but they can become swollen and tender during gout attacks.
- Kidney stones. Urate crystals may collect in the urinary tract of people with gout, causing kidney stones. Medications can help reduce the risk of kidney stones.
- Gout spreading to other joints
- Inflamed tophi, which can cause more damage to joints
- Formation of kidney stones if urate crystals collect in your urinary tract
- Damage to the kidneys if crystals collect in your kidney tissue
