Can gout deform your joints?

Joint damage and deformity

When you have chronic gout, you have swelling in your joints regularly. Chronic inflammation and tophi can lead to permanent joint damage, deformity, and stiffness. In the worst cases of chronic gout, you may need surgery to fix joint damage, or replace joints.

How do you know if you have joint damage from gout?

It's characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in one or more joints, most often in the big toe. An attack of gout can occur suddenly, often waking you up in the middle of the night with the sensation that your big toe is on fire.