OMG HELP!! Could it be gout?

My left heel is really sore.

Yesterday, I thought I may have stepped on a spike or something, as there was a little bruise on my heel which was hot and sore, very painful to walk on.

This morning I woke up and there is another sore area on the other side of my heel, which is also slightly bruised looking and very painful. It hurts to walk, so I'm having to walk on "tip toe" on that foot. There is a dull pain all the time, but it is when I press on it or walk on it that it really hurts.

I know people with gout, but they are all much older than me, I'm only 22!! I'm embarrassed to discuss it with them.

I know gout has something to do with healthy living, and I'm not the most healthy person, but I do look after myself!

Could it be gout? Does anyone know or have experience of anything like this???

I doubt very much if your problem is Gout.

Symptoms of Gout develop quickly (sometimes in 1 day) and typically occur in only one joint at a time.
http://www.podiatrychannel.com/gout/

Gout usually develops in the joint of the first toe (i.e., the big toe, or hallux). Common symptoms include the following:

* Inflammation
* Pain
* Redness
* Stiffness
* Swelling

If it hurts under your heel, you may have one or more conditions that inflame the tissues on the bottom of your foot:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_repor...

The most common form of heel pain in active people is known as Plantar Fasciitis (pronounced PLAN-tar fashee-EYE-tiss). It occurs when the long, flat ligament on the bottom of the foot (Plantar Fascia) stretches irregularly and develops small tears that cause the ligament to become inflamed.
http://walking.about.com/cs/heelpain/a/h...

Good luck!

go see your dr to rule out gout but to me it sounds like heal/bone spurs

Why haven't you gone to see a doctor? Go!

yeah it is gout. you are screwed for life.

If your embarresed about it, then why do you have your picture on the world wide web yelling that you have GOUT.

It doesn't sound like gout, maybe it's a bone spur (heel spur) -- those can be quite painful. How about your skin-- is it in good shape? is possible that there's a huge callous there and is cracking and that's what's causing the pain. That can happen in the summer when you wear sandals a lot. In any case go see an orthopedics doctor. Hope you feel better

Dude u don't have gout. Gout is caused by rich foods like sauces;
it use to be called the Kings curse because of the rich foods they would eat.I got it once while training to be a chef in the French kitchen.And believe me you cannot walk and the pain it is out of this world

NICE ANSWER about the BOOGER thing....

haha:-)

i haven't thought about my 'parents'... tee-hee... that's not even a booger but a greeny slimy GOO! hihihi!