Osteomalacia Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Osteomalacia is a bone disorder that causes bones to become soft so they break easily. Osteomalacia is similar to osteoporosis in terms of causing brittle bones, but the two can be differentiated based on the causes and characteristics of the sufferer.
This disorder mostly occurs in people who are deficient in vitamin D and get little sun exposure. Therefore, osteomalacia can be prevented by consuming food sources that contain vitamin D and exposing yourself to sunlight.
Symptoms
People with osteomalacia can show the following symptoms:
- Weight loss.
- Difficulty swallowing food
- Muscle weakness.
- Spreading bone pain, especially in the waist and thigh area.
- Changes in the shape of the spine and limbs (arms and legs).
Reason
The main factor in the occurrence of osteomalacia is a lack of consumption of vitamin D, phosphate, and calcium. These three components are the main substances that support bone health so that the bones will be formed strong.
In addition, osteomalacia can also be caused by the body’s inadequate ability to absorb vitamin D.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of osteomalacia is established by blood tests and additional examinations. On blood tests, you can see low levels of vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate.
Additional examinations were carried out in the form of X-rays of the bones. Because the bones become soft, fracture lines can be found in various places, such as the ribs, hips, and thighs.
Complications
People with osteomalacia are more likely to experience fractures, especially in the ribs, spine and legs. However, osteomalacia in children and adults can cause different complications, such as:
- In children
- His bone growth was stunted, so it was too late to be able to sit, crawl and walk.
- His body weight will bend his knees, bones, and other joints.
This causes the legs to curve inward to resemble the letter O, the chest to swell, and the knees to resemble the letter X.
In adults, bone weakness makes the bones soft and short, so that the patient will decrease in height. The shortened skull bones, thus changing the shape of the thoracic bones (the part between the head and abdomen). This makes the patient look like a hunchback.
Treatment
The main treatment for osteomalacia should be done by going straight to the hospital. However, based on the cause, healing osteomalacia can be pursued in the following ways:
- Vitamin D deficiency
If the cause is a lack of vitamin D, vitamin D can be injected for 4-6 weeks. Then proceed with giving a certain dose of vitamin D every day.
- Phosphate deficiency.
It can be treated by taking calcitriol, which is a type of vitamin D used to treat bone diseases—such as bone loss and bone weakness.
If after treatment there are still remaining bone abnormalities, an osteotomy can be performed (cutting part of the bone) on the bones that still show abnormalities.