A campaign to raise awareness of gout was launched yesterday.
More than 6700 people in the South have gout, a potentially crippling form of arthritis.
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of gout in the world.
Arthritis New Zealand chief executive Sandra Kirby said myths about gout included that it mainly affected the wealthy, and could not be treated.
''It's caused by too much uric acid in the blood and affects joints, causing sudden attacks of pain, often coming on overnight.
''It can affect any joint but ... often affects the big toe or another part of the foot. The skin over the joint may also become red and shiny.''
Gout symptoms could be managed with medication and the message was for people to seek help if they suspected they had the condition.
The Don't Get Trapped By Gout campaign was launched in Auckland yesterday.
