The higher prevalence of gout in elderly persons may also reflect an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome, high rates of diuretic treatment for hypertension and congestive heart failure, and the use of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (Miller, Ranatunga, and Francis, 2008). Gout is managed in 3 stages: (1) treating the acute attack, (2) providing prophylaxis to prevent acute flares, and (3) lowering excess stores of urate to prevent flares of gouty arthritis and to prevent tissue deposition of urate crystals (Miller, Ranatunga, and Francis, 2008)..Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is generally not treated, but acute gout is treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and colchicine (Miller, Ranatunga, and Francis, 2008).

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes people to have recurring seizures. The seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out the wrong signals, causing people to have strange sensations and emotions, to behave strangely or to have violent muscle spasms or lose consciousness (Epilepsy, MedLine Plus).

Epilepsy and seizures affect 2.5 million Americans with 181,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed every year, but the causes for half of all individuals is unknown (Advances in treatment of epilepsy and related seizure disorders help improve quality of life, 2007). Known causes vary by age groups. Children may be born with a defect in the structure of their brain, or they may suffer a head injury or infection; young adults may suffer a severe head injury; middle-age individuals may suffer strokes, tumors; and people age 65 may suffer a stroke followed by degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (Advances in treatment of epilepsy and related seizure disorders help improve quality of life,...

Epilepsy may be treated with drug therapy, surgery, biofeedback, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) or a ketogenic diet. Antiepileptic drugs remain the foundation for treatment, but they treat only the symptoms of epilepsy (the seizures), rather than curing the underlying condition. The drugs act on the brain to prevent the seizures from starting by reducing the tendency of the brain cells to send excessive and confused electrical signals. Brain surgery may be an option for people whose seizures cannot be controlled by medication.
Bibliography

Advances in treatment of epilepsy and related seizure disorders help improve quality of life (2007, June 4). Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/72962.php

Bankhead, C. (2008, September 30). Gout tracked to genes that affect urate levels. MedPage Today. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/11122

Epilepsy. MedLine Plus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/epilepsy.html

Gout. WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/gout-topic-overview

Gout and hyperuricemia. MedicineNet. http://www.medicinenet.com/gout/article.htm

Hospitalizations for osteoarthritis rising sharply. Newswise. http://newswise.com/articles/view/544029/

Miller, a.V., Ranatunga, S.M., and Francis, M.L. (2008, November 7). Gout. eMedicine. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/329958-overview

Gout. Siddiqui, F.H. And Laborde, J.M. Osteoarthritis. eMedicine. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1270114-overview