Women with gout can suddenly find themselves unable to do the things they enjoy. In addition to the painful effects of the disease, they suffer from feelings of dissatisfaction and low self-esteem.
One of the Keele University and University of Oxford research participants named Georgina shared how gout took away the self-satisfaction she often gets from doing things herself.
"I’ve always been the type of person that I - I won’t ask anyone to do something because I’d rather do it myself," she said. She shared how frustrating it was to ask people to do things for her.
Researchers also found that gout had changed the women’s view of their identity, thinking themselves “mannish” for having the condition and having less desire to engage in activities and fashion perceived to be feminine.
“The actual term ‘gout’ was problematic for some women in our study, because of its impact on their identity. Some participants reported telling people they had arthritis rather than gout,” researchers said.
In the end, most participants did not have a good understanding of gout. Misinformation associated with the disease — such as the belief that it only happens to men — worsens this lack of awareness and knowledge.
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