Teen Suffers With Swollen Finger Gout After Diet Of Fizzy Drinks And Junk Food

This 14-year-old boy is suffering from gout in his badly swollen fingers allegedly as a result of a diet of fizzy drinks and junk food.

The incident is believed to have taken place in the city of Chongqing in the Yuzhong District in south-central China.

Footage shared online shows how at least one of the young boy's fingers have apparently become swollen as a result of eating junk food, drinking fizzy drinks and milk tea, which is very popular in China.

Local media quoted a Dr Chen that was treating the boy as saying that the deformity was due to a high level of uric acid contained in the boy's body, adding that the condition was also known as gout.

Uric acid is a waste product that can be found in people's bloodstreams. It is created when the body breaks down chemicals called purines. Most uric acid is expelled from the body in urine after passing through the kidneys.

But foods that have high levels of purines such as junk food and fizzy drinks often leave uric acid behind and this can end up saturating the bloodstream, causing health issues.

Local media reported that the young boy, who has not been named, is being brought up by his grandparents because his parents work away from home.

As a result, he has reportedly had poor oversight regarding his diet, leading to him regularly eating junk food and drinking carbonated drinks.

Gout typically occurs when a person has a diet that is too high in fizzy drinks and junk food, as well as purine-rich foods such as seafood, and alcoholic beverages including beer.

Gout can cause arthritis, joint pain, and inflammation.

It is currently unclear if the young boy is still being treated for the condition.

AsiaWire/Joe Golder