Osteomalcia Case
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Osteomalacia
If you feel pain in your bones, joint discomfort, or the weakness in your muscles, you may have osteomalacia. Osteomalacia is the softening of bones due to a lack of vitamin D which can lead to bones breaking or fracturing easily. This disease, often confused with osteoporosis, is one of many diseases of bones. The main group that is subject to osteoporosis is the elderly, whereas almost anyone can get osteomalacia because it is a defect in the bone building process.
The characteristics of osteomalacia include bone pain and muscle weakness. Most of the pain occurs mainly in the lower spine, pelvis, hips, legs, and ribs. Muscle weakness may cause a decrease in muscle tone and make it difficult to get around and pursue your daily activities. Though there are many causes of osteomalacia, the main cause is due to a lack of vitamin D. The most common cause for vitamin D deficiency is lack of sunlight because sunlight is a major factor in developing the calcium that causes your bones to be strong. Osteomalacia can also be caused by some surgeries, and example being the removing of parts from your stomach. This can cause your body to not absorb vitamin D and interfere with the processing of vitamin D. Some drugs that are used to treat seizures, such as phenytoin, can also be a cause of the deficiency.
There are not many treatments for osteomalacia, although there are ways to render the disease ineffective. These include the consumption of vitamin D supplements and shots of vitamin D. these treatments help keep the bones strong so they dont fracture or break as easily. If you do not want to develop osteomalacia then it is crucial to spend time in sunlight and eat foods that contain rich amounts of vitamin D such as fish, eggs, milk, yogurt, and bread.
Osteomalacia is a disease that causes bones to weaken and break easily. While there are many causes for this disease and the symptoms can be uncomfortable and even painful, there are also ways to treat it. But the best way to treat a disease is by preventing the disease in the first place.